A Still, Small Voice
by Echo Frosts
Summary: AU. After his transformation in Ba Sing Se, Zuko is a new man. Following his conscience, he makes a radically good choice followed by a terrible one; these actions change the events of Book Three, leading Zuko and the Gaang in an entirely new direction, involving romance, adventure, spirituality, growth, healing and the end of the Hundred Year War. Zutara.
1. A Rather Surprising Change

**A/N: This story is based on a single change in the canon: in the final few episodes of Book Two, Zuko followed his conscience along a more radically good path; this choice began a chain reaction, leading to an entirely different Book Three. The first few chapters will be fairly close to canon; but it will quickly deviate after that, spiraling into a new story. I hope you all enjoy it!**

**Hopefully, I will be able to update every week. I decided to make sure I write a lot of chapters before I even post the first one, so you can be assured that the updates will come regularly. At least, for the first ten chapters or so!**

**Thanks be to those who have helped me on this journey, especially the lovely ladies LuckyStarWrites and flawsmadebeautiful!**

**I look forward to your reviews!**

* * *

Zuko awoke. He blinked, the light seeming too bright for a moment. He yawned and stretched his arms. He felt lighter. Better. Happier. He looked around the small apartment in Ba Sing Se. No nightmarish visions greeted him, as they had for days past. He smiled. This was a new day.

His Uncle Iroh stood cooking breakfast at the counter. When he saw his nephew rise, his brow furrowed, looking concerned. "How are you feeling, Prince Zuko?"

"Excellent!" Zuko laughed. At this, his uncle raised his eyebrows. This was _not_ normal. He expected a grouchy Zuko to mutter "fine" and slouch away. But instead, Zuko rose and eagerly tasted his uncle's porridge. "This is great, Uncle!"

Definitely not normal.

But a smile broke across Iroh's face as he watched his nephew look out the window across the sweeping cityscape of Ba Sing Se, contently smiling and sipping tea Iroh had prepared. Perhaps this was better than normal ever was.

"What do you want to do, Prince Zuko?"

"What do you mean, Uncle?"

"The Avatar is here. In Ba Sing Se."

Zuko laughed and waved the unspoken thought away. "Let him be. We have tea to serve!"

At this, Iroh settled back contently. His nephew's metamorphosis really seemed to change him! Finally, Zuko was at peace. Finally, he could find his _true_ destiny and follow it wherever it took him.

They walked downstairs to the tea shop, slipping into their aprons as they prepared for the shop to open. The atmosphere improved a hundredfold with post-transformation Zuko: as guests would enter, he would smile at them and greet them enthusiastically. Iroh, for one of the first times since the Prince's banishment, heard Zuko laughing, purely and contently. His golden/amber eyes, instead of being dark and brooding, became inviting and alive.

What touched Iroh's heart the most, however, was a conversation between Zuko and a little old lady who frequented the café. When she entered, Zuko gave her a profound bow, welcoming their "most beloved and regular customer" back for tea, and escorted her to her seat. She was overwhelmed! "Young man, what came over you? You're gone for a week and now you're bright as rain!"

Zuko didn't really understand how someone can be 'as bright as rain,' but he smiled jovially. "My uncle," he said, glancing towards the kitchen where his uncle was brewing a new pot of jasmine tea. "He helped me let go of something that was holding me back."

"Well, hon," she said, placing a hand on his arm gently with a warm smile, "you're starting to remind me of him when I see you." It was a compliment of rare order; Iroh had the reputation of being a joyful and peaceful man by the customers; Zuko's reputation had been quite worse.

Zuko laughed. "Have I eaten that much?!" As he and the little lady shared a laugh at Iroh's expense, Iroh smiled, wiping his eyes lest a tear show its face. He never expected his nephew to become like him; to be honest, he wasn't sure what he had expected when he left the Fire Nation to mentor the exiled Prince Zuko.

But he was sure glad that it ended up this way.

* * *

Elsewhere in the city, Aang and Co. stood on the steps of the Earth King's palace. Well, what remained of them. A mere twenty hours ago, they stormed the front gates, demolishing any sort of infrastructure that stood between them and King Kuei. Which happened to be _all_ the infrastructure, since the defenders were Earthbenders.

Aang, Sokka and Katara embraced Toph, whose eyes were more watery than usual. Momo chirped on Aang's shoulder.

"Don't worry, Toph. It won't be long, I'm sure." Aang said with a smile. "We just need to split up for a bit."

She sighed dramatically. "I knoooow."

"And we get to see Dad!" Sokka cried out, literally jumping for joy. Katara had a massive smile across her face as well. "It's been far too long."

"And I need to meet a mysterious guru. He's alright, isn't he, Appa?"

Appa gave a small roar as Momo squawked.

"You weren't there, Momo! You don't have a say in the matter." Aang pointed accusingly at the flying lemur. Momo gave a sad chirp and landed on the crown of Aang's head, laying down.

Toph laughed and punched Aang in the arm, who toppled over with a loud "OW!" Momo was displeased that his bed had fallen, and took flight. "Well, you three better get going. Make sure you practice, Twinkletoes! You better not fall next time I punch you!"

Aang rubbed his shoulder and grimaced before leaping up onto Appa's back. "Alright…Appa, yip yip!"

The flying bison took to the air, soaring away in the sky. Toph shook her head, willing her eyes to stop bleeding water. _Solid. Unmoved. All-enduring_. Yet, as she walked back to their house, she couldn't deny that she had grown really attached to the three of them. Her first true friends. (Besides badger moles, of course. They're the best.)

* * *

Iroh's week had only gotten better from the day of Zuko's awakening (physically and spiritually). Only two days later, a businessman entered the building, charisma rolling off his person.

"You there–Mushi! I hear you're the mastermind behind this incredible tea!"

"Tea is its own master; I am just a humble brewer." Iroh replied with a calm smile. He poured a cup of jasmine and offered it to the businessman. He took the cup, smelling it for a sweet moment before sipping.

"Well, would you like to brew under your own roof?" The man winked at him. "I can offer you your own tea shop in the Upper Ring!"

The store owner's jaw dropped. "You aren't trying to steal my prized employee, are you?!" He accused with a threatening jab of his finger.

The other man laughed heartily. "Oh no! Of course not! When does your contract run out, Mushi?"

"I don't have a contract!" He happily exclaimed, as the owner face-palmed. "My own shop, you say?"

"Indeed! Your own decorations, your own tea (of course), a hefty share in the weekly profits, your own name for the shop…"

"I can name it?!" Now it was Iroh's jaw that dropped. Zuko, after delivering a dainty, flower-covered pot of tea to a group of soldiers, slapped a hand on one of Iroh's shoulders. "Uncle! This is great news!"

The shop owner lamely attempted to regain his employees' interests. "I can give you a raise! And a new title! And…more vacation time!"

Iroh shook the businessman's hand, a grin wider than an ash banana covering his face. The shop owner sighed and slunked away, as Zuko smiled and returned to serving tea.

"What'll you name her, Mushi?" The business man asked, whipping out some parchment to write on.

"The Jasmine Dragon!"

* * *

Aang frowned as Katara and Sokka walked him towards Appa on the edge of the shore. "You aren't coming with us, Sokka?"

"Nah. I'll be back after a little _fun_ with the Fire Nation navy." He grinned, rubbing his hands together.

Katara laughed. "Just don't do anything crazy, alright? Aang won't be gone too long. I hope." She glanced at Aang, who looked a little downcast.

"I don't know…" He said, rubbing his neck. Honestly, Aang was a bit scared. The Avatar state was something very overwhelming; he wasn't sure that he'd like whatever he learned. "But at least we'll be better prepared!" He ended with a beaming smile.

"The invasion plan should be ready by the time everyone returns to Ba Sing Se." Katara stated. "We'll be ready to end this. Once and for all."

"Speaking of ending…you two should get going." Sokka motioned towards Appa.

"Yeah." Aang sighed. Katara hugged Sokka and Hakota tenderly, and the duo leaped onto Appa's back. Sokka and Hakota waved as the bison flew off.

* * *

Azula internally snickered. Here she sat, in front of the Earth King, with her two best operatives in his fullest confidence. Free reign of the city and, more importantly, full control of the Dai Li. Her plan came together perfectly (_as always_, she thought): after meeting Long Feng, the Dai Li responded well to her commands. She had the whole capital at her fingertips.

Only a few problems remained: the Avatar and her traitorous brother and uncle.

The Earth King casually remarked to Ty Lee (who had become his favorite of the fake Kyoshi Warriors; she was so bubbly!), "I heard there's this _fantastic_ new tea shop in the Upper Ring!"

_Ugh, tea. Reminds me of Uncle…_ Azula thought, frowning. She never liked Uncle for a rather simple reason: he always seemed to like her. She had no power over their relationship; every attempt to make him angry either: a) worked, and got her punished in a way that she couldn't escape (and, occasionally, learned something from, which just made her angrier); or b) made him laugh, like he could see right through her.

Lost in thought, she missed the last half of what the Earth King said.

Ty Lee remarked excitedly, "Oooh! That's a great idea! I heard the server is quite dreamy." Mai sighed. Ironic, considering who it was. "When are they serving you tea?"

"Oh, I haven't invited them yet. It'd be nice to get someone's opinion before I go." He said, motioning to the pseudo-Kyoshi warriors, hinting that they should go try it first.

"I'd _love_ to!" Ty Lee backflipped over King Kuei's bear in sheer joy.

Azula bit back a cruel refusal; she had to play her part, which meant being diplomatic. "I don't know…we _are_ quite busy…"

Ty Lee sighed, almost frowning. Almost. But she brightened up soon enough. "Come here, Bosco!" She flipped onto the bear's back, who yawned. Azula turned away from their shenanigans, focusing her thoughts once more on the coup.

Only a few days before the Avatar returned. Then, if Azula had her way, there wouldn't be _any_ more days with the Avatar.

* * *

"Nephew!" Iroh cried out, standing in the back of the tea shop. Zuko sprinted from the front parlor, spilling a bit of jasmine on his apron, worried that his uncle might be in trouble. Instead, he found him smelling a cup of his new brew of tea, harvested from several local plants that didn't grow in the Fire Nation. "This new tea is excellent! You must try some. Though it isn't nearly as good as my jasmine brew." He chuckled.

Zuko was excited for his uncle. He really was. He had full confidence in Iroh's brewing abilities and even enjoyed a cup or two for himself–though he used to hate tea. But when Zuko failed to react in his (now) characteristic joy, instead adopting the grouchy face that most people knew him by, Iroh became worried.

"What's wrong, Lee?" He whispered when he was close to Zuko, careful to use their codenames around the guests.

"Nothing." He muttered.

Iroh slowly nodded. They'd talk about this later.

The day progressed as usual; but as evening dawned, and the shop was closed, Zuko collapsed near one of the Pai Sho tables in the back, leaning as far back as he was able. He gave a weary, long moan. Uncle chuckled and drew up one of the chairs.

"A lotus for your thoughts?" He flicked a White Lotus tile at Zuko. It flipped onto his forehead; he leaned up, grabbing it before it slipped onto the floor.

"Uncle…" Zuko seemed to be having trouble finding the right words to speak. "When you were attacking Ba Sing Se…"

Iroh sighed slightly. "I was a different man then, Zuko."

"That's why I'm asking, actually." He coughed, looking at the White Lotus tile in his hands. "If…well…" There was a pause. "When you changed to be good–not that you weren't good before, of course, but-"

Iroh laughed quietly. "It's alright, Zuko. What's your question?"

He fidgeted some more. "Were you ever reconciled with the people of the Earth Kingdom? The generals whom you attacked?"

Iroh breathed in deeply. "Yes and no. It is a _very_ complicated story, nephew, and not one I can speak of currently. In fact," he chuckled, "the story continues even now! But I am curious why you are asking me this." He paused. "Especially when the Avatar returns to Ba Sing Se in a few days, and only then for a short window of time."

Zuko smiled faintly. "Not much gets past you, Uncle." He drew himself erect, taking a deep breath. "IfeellikeIshouldapologizetotheAvatarwhenhereturns." He rushed out, words spilling together.

Iroh simply raised an eyebrow.

Zuko took another deep breath and spoke less quickly, but with a noticeable tremble in his voice. "I feel like I should apologize to the Avatar when he returns."

Iroh closed his eyes and leaned back, taking in a deep breath.

"I mean, I chased him around the world! I tried to ruin his life _so many times_, all for something that I don't even care about now!" Zuko exclaimed, raising his hands in emphasis. "My inner Iroh voice-"

At this, Iroh choked. "Your what?"

"My inner…conscience?" Zuko said sheepishly.

"No, no. Repeat what you said." Iroh grinned.

"My inner…" He sighed. "Iroh voice."

"So your conscience sounds like me nagging you?" Iroh burst out laughing. Zuko flushed red in embarrassment. "Don't worry, nephew; I understand. And I take it as a compliment, actually, that you view me as a moral guide!" Iroh clapped him on the shoulder as a signal to go ahead.

"My…_conscience_–" Zuko said, with a minor glare at Iroh, who smiled, "spoke to me all day this week, saying that I cannot claim to be a good person if I don't apologize for what I did out of selfish pride." He looked down at the White Lotus tile again. "But I'm scared."

"You should be!"

Zuko looked at Iroh with surprise and a hint of anger. "I thought you were going to encourage me, Uncle!"

Iroh laughed. "I _am_ encouraging you, Zuko! But I am also stating the truth." He grew serious. "The Avatar is powerful, and grows more so by the day. He has surpassed you already; in just a few years, he will be the clear victor against any firebender–even your father. He may not be as forgiving as you would hope, Zuko. He will likely still see you as a threat, and may decide to end this–then and there!"

Zuko listened with a deeper and deeper frown.

"_But that must not stop you_." Iroh pointed to the White Lotus tile. "Do you know why that was chosen as the symbol of our Order?"

"Order?" Zuko raised an eyebrow.

Iroh face-palmed. _And I thought _I_ was forgetful_. "Do you remember the meeting I had in the desert?"

After a moment's thought, Zuko nodded. "Yes. With the Pai Sho table. And this tile."

"Indeed." Iroh nodded and left the rest of the deduction unsaid. Hopefully Zuko could figure it out from there. "The White Lotus is among the rarest of flowers; it blooms only under extreme conditions, which are also liable to kill it. Because of this, the White Lotus flower is seen as weak and too much of an effort to grow. But they are looking at it from the wrong perspective. The flower must undergo much tribulation and trial, but when it blooms…" He outlined the tile's face. "It is beautiful beyond measure."

Zuko waited. He knew there was a lesson coming.

"When you face a hard trial and choose to be good anyway, you are declaring that you love goodness more than whatever it was that held you back. The harder the trial, Prince Zuko, the greater the sacrifice; and the greater the sacrifice, the greater the love you have." Iroh spoke passionately. "_The right way is worth everything_, nephew. Trust _me_, if not your own heart that tells you this."

Zuko took a deep breath, and looked down at his White Lotus tile. He had a lot of thinking to do tonight.

* * *

Katara laughed as Momo chattered atop the head of one of the Council of Five. The General frowned at her, ignoring Momo. "Miss Katara," he motioned brusquely, Earthbending a slab of earth carrying parchment to her, "these are the plans for the invasion. They simply need the seal of the Earth King to be enacted."

She turned serious and, taking the parchment, nodded. "I'll go immediately." She bowed and they reciprocated.

However, there wasn't much of a rush, to be honest; there was plenty of time for a cup of tea. In fact, she had heard of a new tea shop in the Upper Ring that was supposed to be _incredible_. Spotting it from a distance, she grinned. _I could definitely use a good cup of tea_!

As she entered and took a seat, a cute waitress smiled at her and took her order.

At this moment, many things changed. Zuko had left only a few minutes prior to go to the Avatar's house and see whether he was home and, if not, when he would return (he would soon learn that Aang was due to return in only a few days); because of this, _Katara never saw Zuko at the tea shop_. In fact, she never saw Iroh either, as Iroh was brewing the tea in the back and the new servers he had hired were working the front of the shop.

So, instead of an anxious Katara running for her life to the Palace, there was a peaceful Katara enjoying an excellent cup of tea for an hour longer than she would have otherwise.

After this hour delay, Katara returned to the Palace. The pseudo-Kyoshi warriors had been holding the Court in the Earth King's absence until he returned; the Earth King had taken a lunch break around the same time as Katara and, having finished along the same time frame, was now holding court. The Kyoshi warriors were sitting beside him. Azula's eyes widened when she saw Katara enter. _The Water tribe girl is here? But the Avatar is gone for a few days more…_

Azula nodded to her two fellow warriors; the trio bowed to the Earth King and took their leave before Katara was close enough to recognize them.

Katara approached the Earth King, who smiled at her.

"Your Highness, I have the plan from the Council of Five for the invasion of the Fire Nation."

The Earth King pursed his lips. "Frankly, I do not know much about our military; I trust the Council to know what is best. I will stamp it with my approval."

He held out his hand for the parchment; Katara handed it to him. But he furrowed his eyebrows on reading it. "Is this…tea?"

Katara flushed red. Looking at the document, she was mortified: there was a slight tea stain near the edge. Thankfully, it didn't obscure anything in the document. "I–I'm so sorry," she stuttered, horrified at her mistake. "I can't believe–how–"

The Earth King cut her off with a wave of his hand and a gentle smile. "I'm more interested in the quality of the tea. I've heard rumors of a new shop in town…"

Katara grinned. "That's actually where I went before I came here! The tea is _incredible_, Your Highness."

He stroked his chin. "It is settled!" He clapped his hands for one of his attendants. "We'll have the owner over for tea!"

Azula, listening in to the conversation from the shadows, inwardly groaned. _Please tell me I won't have to go…_

"And make sure to invite the Kyoshi warriors, as well!" He smiled. "And the Avatar with his companions, of course, if they return in time."

Katara graciously accepted his offer and, bowing, left the throne room with the sealed plans for the attack. Everything was looking up, she thought. Except her.

If Katara _had_ been looking up after she left the throne room, she would have seen two Dai Li agents preparing to kidnap her.

But she didn't. In a swift strike, their stone hands swept down and secured Katara's hands and feet. She was swiftly gagged and brought to an underground crystal complex as a makeshift prison.

Katara had been captured.

* * *

Aang sat cross-legged with the hermit on the highest point they could find; the heavens opened up above them, and Aang could _feel_ the presence of Something Greater.

"Open yourself to the great Cosmic Energy. Let it flow through you."

Aang closed his eyes as the hermit guided him. "Think of all of your attachments to this world…"

Immediately, Katara–her sparkling blue eyes; her gorgeous, flowing hair; her gentle smile and loving touch; her soft embrace; her _beauty_ in every way; her incredible _personhood_–sprung to Aang's mind. He smiled contently.

"…and let them flow down the river…"

Aang's eyes snapped open. "What?!" Aang shouted. The image of Katara remained firm in his mind. "But you said love was a good thing just a few chakras ago!"

"Aang," the hermit replied sternly. "You cannot allow any attachment to grow greater than your openness to the Cosmic Energy. If anything will distract you from where it flows, you will be lost."

"But I love her! I don't want to let her go!"

"Aang, if you are to master the Avatar state, you _must let her go_," the hermit stressed.

In that instant, Aang received a vision: Katara, lying on the ground in a strange cave, wounded and tired; and he got the sense that this was going to happen–that it may be occurring at that very moment!

"I gotta go! Katara's in trouble!" He began to stand.

The hermit stretched his hand out after him. "Aang! _If you leave now, you will lock the seventh chakra_. You won't be able to enter the Avatar state _at all_!"

Aang's eyes opened wide. In his heart, he felt those two desires battle: let go of his attachment to Katara and master the Avatar state? Or go save her, but lock away the Avatars?

He chose the latter. He stood and could feel the sudden pressure and burden settle on his heart.

"You have chosen," the hermit sighed, as Aang fled to Appa, readying himself for the journey to Ba Sing Se.


	2. The End to the New Beginning

Iroh carefully laid the lotus tablecloth (one he specifically commissioned a workshop to make!) over his serving tray, along with delicate tea cups with a beautiful design of a dragon interwoven with jasmine. He had received the invitation to serve tea to the Earth King the previous day; naturally, he was ecstatic! As he prepared his best pot of tea, Zuko rounded the corner. One glance from Iroh confirmed his suspicion and hope: he would not be coming.

"So…" Iroh prompted.

Zuko sighed. "I've decided to confront the Avatar." After a pregnant pause, he clarified. "To apologize to him."

Iroh gave him a gentle grin and embraced him. "Zuko, I am _so proud_ of the man you're becoming. What you are doing requires much courage and temperance and, more so, _a love for justice_." He chuckled. "Even when justice rules against you!"

Zuko gave a small, lopsided grin. "Well, that certainly describes us well."

Iroh laughed and clapped him on the back. "Go! I can serve tea to the King by myself; I would be surprised if he didn't want us to return!"

"Getting a little prideful, hmm, Uncle?"

Iroh gasped, clutching his stomach as if offended. "I'm just stating what the trend seems to be, nephew! Nothing more."

Zuko's face settled into a more serious, determined expression.

"It is time."

He nodded to his Uncle, who smiled and began to carry his tray towards the Palace. Their paths followed the same route for most of the journey, so they walked in a comfortable silence, enjoying these last moments of peace before Zuko stepped into what might literally become a storm. At last, they arrived at the (recently renovated) steps in front of the Palace.

They didn't say a word. Zuko bowed to his Uncle, who nodded to him. And they parted ways.

* * *

Azula's day was going wonderfully. Only a few days ago, the silly Water tribe girl had fallen into her trap and now rested a hundred feet underground; all she had to do was wait for the return of the Avatar later that day.

But, in the meantime, there was tea to drink. She sighed.

"Alright, girls, let's get this over with."

Ty Lee cartwheeled past them, excited to drink the finest tea that Ba Sing Se could offer; Mai walked behind them, sullen in everything except her bright green, white and gold clothing. Azula worked to suppress a frown and only partially succeeded. _This is going to be terrible._

How right she was.

They were told that the fellow serving them tea was waiting in a conference room; the ladies and their Dai Li guards would enter first, as the Earth King was running a tad bit late. So they could enjoy some tea as they waited.

However, any thoughts of tea were swept out the door as the girls stepped into the small room. There was a low table set out, with a gorgeous tea set already prepared for five or six people. And sitting there, calmly pouring tea, was General Iroh, proclaimed traitor by the Fire Lord, Uncle to Prince Zuko and Princess Azula.

Azula stopped short. Iroh glanced up and, seeing them, raised his eyebrows. "Azula! What a pleasant surprise!" He smiled at Ty Lee and Mai. "Ladies, would you like some tea?" He sniffed a cup, a wide grin stretching across his face.

Ty Lee started forward, excitement written across her face, but Azula held her back. "Why, Uncle," her lips curled, "it's so nice to see you again. Where's Zuzu?"

He shrugged. "Working."

She ground her teeth. "With you?"

He smiled. "Tea?"

She snapped at him. "This isn't the time for tea!"

Iroh, of course, had noticed that the Dai Li agents had surrounded him quietly. He was outnumbered at least twenty to one. He slowly stood. Azula sneered.

"Do you think you have any chance, now that Zuzu isn't here to help you?"

Azula had expected many responses from Iroh; some gratifying, many infuriating, but none horrifying. Iroh began to cackle.

Azula knew this cackle well. It was the laugh she would make when she had an enemy cornered, with nowhere to hide; it was the laugh her father had made when his plan for Sozin's comet had been announced; and she was sure it was the same cackle that spread across Ozai's ancestors as they slowly crushed the resistance in the war.

Now her uncle cackled.

Azula's sharp, stinging laugh cracked the air around them. "You must be bluffing. There's nothing an old man like you can do."

A ferocious grin spread across his features as he lazily closed his eyes. "Do you know why they call me the Dragon of the West?"

Azula rolled her eyes. "I'm not here for a long, boring anecdote, Uncle!" She replied snappily.

Then his eyes snapped open. "THEN PERHAPS YOU'LL ENJOY A DEMONSTRATION!"

Iroh, though he never mentioned it, kept his power restrained around Zuko. He did not want to terrify his nephew, or really anyone for that matter; and the kind of bending he could do in his prime was purely destructive and difficult to control, albeit beautiful. There was little need for it in their journeys.

But now, he faced monsters threatening the peace of the world. And, for once, total control was no longer necessary. Innocent civilians were nowhere to be found.

He leaned back, inhaling deeply before suddenly leaning forward, opening his mouth. Instead of a mere breath of fire, an unearthly roar pierced the ears of all those in the room, as a literal _column of fire_ billowed forth from his mouth. Three Dai Li immediately pulled forth stone barriers to defend the Princess; but the column of fire _detonated_ the stone, exploding in spectacular fashion and knocking all those behind the barrier to the floor.

The next few minutes were blurry for Azula. Her Uncle spewed forth multicolored flames around the room, wreaking havoc on the Dai Li. The columns of fire were strange; they were not solely the typical burnt orange color, but held hints of other colors throughout. It was, frankly, reminiscent of dragon fire–for those few old enough to remember it, or those who have seen the artist depictions from ages past. But the shocking thing to Azula was the _sheer force_ behind it. The column could destroy many of the earthen walls that the Dai Li bended; in fact, the world would see Iroh use this same firepower to destroy the Inner Wall of Ba Sing Se in a single strike, when Iroh held the full power of Sozin's Comet.

When it caught one of the Dai Li agents, it spread across their clothing and skin, consuming them in fire; they would have to cover themselves in stone to put out the flames. Iroh made an effort to cull the flames beyond the room, so the columns didn't pierce through the Palace. Though, from what she saw, Azula began to think that he could. If he wanted to.

Dai Li shot forth their stone hands to secure him; but even as they locked his hands and feet together, he would turn his mighty breath _against himself_, immolating himself in multicolored fire, which would heat the rock enough for him to merely break it apart. Somehow, his skin did not suffer a single burn.

The whole battle was, in a word: _incredible._ If dragons could take human form, Azula would have believed Iroh to be one. A significant change, considering what she used to think of him.

Iroh turned and burned a hole through several stone walls to the outside of the Palace. Grabbing an unfortunate Dai Li agent near him, he fled the Palace, heading towards the Avatar's humble abode. Even the Avatar might be hard-pressed to stop the Dai Li and a lightning-casting Princess alone.

* * *

Zuko wrung his hands. He really didn't want to do this. He paced back and forth in front of the Avatar's home. He wasn't back yet, nor were any of his friends home (almost a relief, thought Zuko). Now his job was simply…to wait. And hope that what he waited for was freedom from his heavy conscience. Not a swift death.

He chewed his lip as he waited. What would he say? "Hey. Zuko here. Uh, so…I'm not trying to capture you anymore. Or your friends." He paused. "I'm changed now! I'm a good person! So…we're good, right?"

He sounded lame. He sighed. Even if he couldn't speak very well, at least he wasn't going to attack them. That'll probably send a pretty clear message in itself. And surely _the Avatar_, of all people, is willing to have peace and balance?

He nodded. That sounds right! Aang spoke to him about friendship many moons ago, after Zuko had rescued him from Zhao (and Aang returned the favor). So surely he'd be open to discussion?

He began to grow in optimism as he suddenly heard the familiar _whoosh_ that the flying bison generated as it landed. He whipped around to see the Avatar and two of his companions (the Water tribe boy and the Earthbending girl) descending to the ground. Aang leapt from the saddle to the ground, his face red with anger. _I am so screwed_. Zuko idly thought, as a wind current bent by Aang flung him against the wall of Aang's house.

"What did you do with Katara?" Aang yelled, advancing on the fallen Zuko with wrath plain in his eyes. Zuko, frankly, was surprised that Aang didn't go all blue-y on him and kill him outright in the Avatar state. "Where is she?!"

"I…what? I don't know!" Zuko yelled back. "I didn't come to capture her _or_ you."

Aang yelled, thrusting a fist into the air. Zuko was hit by a pillar of earth that jutted up from the ground, bended by Aang. "I'm not playing games, Zuko! I don't care why you're here! TELL ME WHERE KATARA IS!"

Zuko laid on the ground, stunned. This was going horribly–perhaps in the worst way he imagined. Well, not the worst way; he wasn't dead. Yet. Anger began to rise in his heart_. I came here to apologize and all he does is accuse me? Why am I trying to help him?_

"I don't know!" Zuko yelled. He leaped up, assuming a defensive posture. "I just came to–"

Aang smacked him another ten feet with a flying rock. "Get _out_ of here, Zuko!"

Zuko picked himself up, holding back the anger that curled his heart. _At least you tried…_ A quiet voice in his heart spoke. A much louder voice urged him: _don't bother with the Avatar. He doesn't care about you; you shouldn't care about him._ He turned his back on Aang and walked away, quickly picking up the pace to a jog as his anger grew. _What was the point of this? Why am I wasting my time? They're never going to see me as anything but the banished Prince who wants to ruin their lives._

Part of Zuko's heart felt wounded. His attempt to be reconciled–which was also an attempt to _verify_ and make real the fact that he'd changed–failed. His enemies seemed determined to remain his enemies. And his friends…

He only had one friend; he was serving tea to the Earth King. A desire grew in Zuko's heart to see his Uncle. He smiled, pushing out of his mind the experience with Aang, and remembered what his Uncle had told him: you are a _good man_, Zuko. You are a changed man!

Zuko felt hope lift his heart once more.

* * *

Iroh flew down the street towards the Avatar's house. He had seen the bison swoop down just minutes ago from the Palace steps. There was only a little time left, he felt, before Azula made her move. Especially if she had the combined power of the Dai Li.

As he rounded the bend, he saw that the trio had entered the house. He took a deep breath, calming himself. Zuko was nowhere to be found. Worry rose in his heart, but he quelled it and knocked at the Avatar's door.

He heard footsteps approach and a young girl say, "Oh! I know him!" Opening the door, he caught sight of Toph, who smiled at him. He smiled back. "Good to see you're OK!"

Aang and Sokka yelled, assuming defensive postures. "YOU KNOW EACH OTHER?!"

"Yeah!" Toph smiled, hugging Iroh, who chuckled. "I tripped him in the forest, but he made me some excellent tea and gave me great advice."

"Thank you for your kind words!" He smiled. "May I come in?"

Toph motioned for him to enter, much to Sokka and Aang's confusion. Before they could say a word, he had entered and turned a serious face to them both.

"Princess Azula is in Ba Sing Se, and plans to take over the city with the help of the Dai Li."

Aang gaped at him. "She must have captured Katara!"

Iroh frowned. "And she may have captured my nephew, as well."

Aang grimaced. "Well, about that…"

Iroh's heart fell. As he feared, Zuko's meeting with the Avatar had not gone well.

"We kind of…beat him up and accused him of capturing Katara." Aang sighed.

Sokka interjected. "But how do we know he _wasn't_ involved?"

Iroh shook his head. "My nephew has been lost and confused, but there is good in him!"

"Well, why isn't the good outside of him too?!" Sokka snorted. "I'll believe it when I see it."

Iroh looked sternly at them both. "You _did_ see it. He came here to apologize to you both for his actions." His grey eyes slowly closed. "He was becoming a new man…"

Aang's face fell. "I'm so sorry." He looked at his feet. "I judged Zuko before he said anything because of my worry for Katara. And…"

Empathy stirred in Iroh's heart. He placed a heavy, yet gentle, hand on Aang's shoulder. "We all make mistakes–my nephew more than most!" He laughed. "We cannot change what we did, but we can change what we _will_ do. And who we will become."

Iroh could tell there was still a burden on Aang's heart; Aang, however, pushed those thoughts away for the moment. His face turned serious. "I think we should team up against Azula and rescue Zuko and Katara; otherwise, the Earth Kingdom will fall. Along with our friends."

"Assuming Zuko has been captured." Sokka noted.

The group turned silent. Where is Zuko? He had left maybe ten minutes before Iroh arrived; where would he have gone?

"He might have gone back to the tea shop." Iroh stated. "But before we go there, I have someone who might help us find your friend…" He led them outside. On the porch, bound and gagged, a Dai Li agent lay.

Toph cracked her knuckles. "I love this part." She smirked. The Dai Li agent's eyes went wide.

Iroh laughed gently. "No need for that, young one. He'll tell us all we wish to know." He removed the prisoner's gag, who stared in horror at the old man. Iroh grimaced; this was precisely why he hated using his full power. He preferred to be seen as a wise friend. Not like a fearsome dragon. Though it did bring much good, in this case.

"Where is Katara being held?" Sokka asked, getting up close to the prisoner's face.

"The girl was stashed in the glittering crystal caverns not far from the Palace." The man responded quickly.

"And where is Zuko?" Aang asked in a more gentle tone.

"Zuko?" The agent looked confused. "We didn't know Prince Zuko was here."

Aang exchanged a glance with Iroh. Both good and bad news. If Zuko finds out that Azula is here, he might do something rash.

"Let's go to my tea shop and see if my nephew is there." Iroh turned and began to walk. "We will need his help if we are to stop Azula."

* * *

Zuko was jogging past the palace steps when he heard a familiar voice that made his blood run cold. _Azula? Here?_

He stepped back and, leaping over the side of a nearby stone fence, he hid. Azula, with a small cohort of Dai Li and her two trusted operatives, walked past him, whispering.

"What happened to the Water tribe girl?"

"We threw her into one of the glittering caves, Princess." The Dai Li agent responded. "The Earth King will be held in the Lake Laogai facility, along with any other intruders we find."

"Excellent."

Zuko raised his eyebrows. It seems Azula was staging a coup. His eyes widened.

_If Azula took over Ba Sing Se, then I would become a refugee again. Uncle and I would need to hide and move away, starting our lives over. Again_. _But this time, nowhere would be safe_. Anger began to grow in the pit of his stomach. _I'm tired of running! I'm tired of being an outcast from my own country–my own people–my own birthright!_

One of the Dai Li approached Azula and whispered in her ear, "Princess, there's a young man eavesdropping on us. He's kneeling behind one of the fences."

Azula raised an eyebrow. "What's he look like?" She whispered. _Could it be…?_

"Young man, coming of age; dark hair; a burn mark across his face…"

Azula's eyes widened. _Zuko!_ _And_, she thought with venom, _his uncle is nowhere to be found_.

A thought began to form in Azula's mind. She smirked. "Very well." She addressed the Dai Li agents. "Move ahead of us; we will rejoin you all shortly."

"Yes, Princess." They bowed to her and moved away, leaving Azula alone with Mai, Ty Lee and a hidden Zuko.

Azula sighed dramatically. "There's still one element in this equation that we haven't accounted for." She paused, looking at Mai and Ty Lee. "Zuko."

Mai shrugged nonchalantly. Ty Lee pursed her lips, cocking her head as she looked at Azula, who continued. "Uncle is too powerful for us three to handle, and I would rather avoid sending a Dai Li army after him. They are needed elsewhere. But Zuko is the perfect plant. If he were to betray his uncle, I have no doubt that Father would restore Zuko as Crown Prince." She sighed. "But I fear that Zuko has too great an attachment to the old man."

Zuko had begun to grind his teeth in anger when Azula spoke, but when she said that he could be restored as Crown Prince, his heart leapt in his chest. _If a slight betrayal were all it took_... He angrily reigned those thoughts in. _Betray Uncle_? He scolded himself. _How can I even _consider _that_?

Ty Lee spoke up with excitement. "Azula! You _do_ care about Zuko!" She hugged Azula, a grin stretching across her face. "I knew it!"

Azula grumbled reluctantly. "Yes, I suppose I do. He _is_ my brother, after all. It would be a pity to see him lose his chance at redemption."

Zuko closed his eyes, forcing himself to breathe slowly. The desires in his heart were becoming more pronounced; it was harder for him to clearly and calmly focus on one.

Azula began to reminisce on life in the Palace; the food, the servants, the _luxury_…

Mai and Ty Lee were rather surprised; Azula speaking about home and Zuko? Certainly not normal. Azula smirked as she spoke. She could only imagine the effect she was having on Zuko.

"Well, we better get moving. Uncle can't possibly hope to stop the coup so long as we hold that Water tribe girl prisoner; the Avatar won't be focused on anything else."

_Azula captured the Water tribe girl?_ Zuko furrowed his brow. If he had to guess where she was held, it would be Lake Laogai near where the flying bison was imprisoned. He pushed all his other thoughts to the back of his mind: he can work through all those emotions and decisions later.

But as he prepared to leave, he heard Ty Lee whine. "Do we really need to go back to those caves? Why couldn't they hide her somewhere warmer and…"

"Pinker?" Mai finished, a smirk on her face.

She and Ty Lee shared a laugh as Azula snorted. _So she isn't in Lake Laogai_. Zuko frowned. This was getting more complicated by the minute. Uncle won't be there, then; I doubt he knows where she is captured. Zuko decided to follow the trio; they appeared to be going to guard the girl from the Avatar. His initial thought was to rescue the girl and prove that he was a changed man to the Avatar.

But a different voice suggested that he team up with Azula and lead the Avatar into a trap.

He pushed those thoughts away and followed her.

* * *

Iroh walked into his tea shop. Unfortunately, Zuko was nowhere to be seen. He sighed.

Walking back out to the porch, he shook his head at the questioning look Aang shot him. Sokka spoke up.

"Perhaps we should split up. Iroh and Aang can go rescue Katara; Azula probably knows we'll try to rescue her first." He shrugged. "Zuko might even be down there. In the meantime, Toph and I can go warn the Earth King about the impending coup by the Dai Li and hopefully mobilize the army."

The Gaang nodded their heads in agreement and went their separate ways. It seemed to be a solid plan.

Sokka and Toph soon arrived at the entrance of the Earth King's Palace to find a strange scene: one of the generals in the Council of Five was fighting with chains, linked to his wrists and feet. Dai Li agents crawled amongst the columns, pinning him to the ground.

"The coup's already begun! Hurry!" Sokka whispered to Toph and pulled her along a side corridor to the Earth King's throne room.

Unfortunately for them, the room was already occupied by the enemy. It was not long until Sokka, Toph and the Earth King found themselves locked in a steel room in the Lake Laogai prison facility.

* * *

Katara sat on the floor of the cave. The gentle lights pulsed around her. The cave was quite serene, actually; she could hear gentle flowing of water from _somewhere_ and could feel a peaceful solitude beckon her.

Of course, she couldn't be at peace. Not here, when she was imprisoned. And likely bait for Aang. This was a trap or a distraction.

She hugged her legs to herself, uttering a quiet moan. She began to go back over what she had done, trying to see if she could have improved her situation any. But it all happened so fast! The Dai Li had kidnapped her as easily as they could have a child.

And, as she thought, she wondered whether Aang could even find her. She was deep underground, presumably; there may not be any way for him to find her...

Her shoulders began to shake as she silently wept. She was alone; and her hope began to waver.

* * *

**A/N: I would have liked to spend more time on the epicness of Iroh...but that will have to wait for some chapters down the road. See you all in five or so days!**


	3. The Showdown

**A/N: Well, we're here: the first chapter that will fully diverge from the season two finale. Be prepared for deep thoughts; I enjoy infusing my stories with deeper themes and discussions. Believe it or not, the deep discussions in _this_ particular story are very light compared to what I usually write; but even so, let's hope I don't overdo them (your thoughts and responses, as always, are appreciated via review or PM. I hope they make you think!). Next update: next weekend.**

* * *

Aang pushed his arms forward in a brusque motion; the earth ahead of them rolled forward, extending the cavern. Iroh walked beside him with a gentle flame lit in his hand.

"So…" Aang said slowly. Iroh raised an eyebrow. "Toph said you gave good advice. And that you make excellent tea!"

"The secret to both is fine aging." Iroh winked. "What's on your mind?"

"Well," Aang began, "I was told by a guru that, in order to master the Avatar state, I need to let go of earthly attachments." He looked at his feet. "But I don't want to give up Katara."

"Power is overrated." Iroh smiled. "I think you were wise to choose love instead!"

His encounter with Zuko flashed through Aang's mind. "But it was my attachment to Katara that made me so angry with Zuko." He frowned. "If I hadn't been attached, I could have been calm and listened to him." He sighed. "Perhaps that's why the Avatar needs to be detached from earthly attachments..."

Iroh stroked his beard and hummed. "Hmmm." He turned and looked at Aang. "Let's say that a young lady finds out that her friend is in danger; the best thing for him is to go with the Sages, or he would die. But he is her friend! She doesn't want to let him go, even if it is for the better. Is that love or attachment?"

Aang pondered that for a moment. "It's not love." He decided. "Because the loving thing to do would be what's best for him. But she cares about him and doesn't want him to go! Which is also love!" He groaned. "This is confusing." He grumbled.

Iroh chuckled and placed his hand on Aang's shoulder as Aang shifted his body, further extending the tunnel via Earthbending as they walked. "Love and attachment can be hard to distinguish until you come to moments like these. Love _always_ wants the greatest possible good thing for someone. You were right in saying that love would call the young lady to give care of her friend to the Sages." He paused. "That's not always the case, of course; a lot of factors can influence the situation. But, for the purpose of our example, let's say that the best thing for the friend is for him to leave."

"Then what is her desire to keep her friend, even though that's not what's best?"

"_That_ is attachment." Aang's brow furrowed. He interrupted.

"But isn't that desire a good thing?"

"That desire is natural; love brings people closer together, and that union is good!" Iroh glanced at Aang. "But there will come moments when true love and your attachment approach a crossroads. You will be forced to choose one over the other. This example is such a crossroads: the lady's own natural attachment, intended to foster love, now comes in conflict with it. Love is always the better choice."

They walked in silence for a few minutes, as Aang continued to extend the tunnel with swift movements.

"Does that mean that I can't feel any attachment to anything?"

Iroh laughed. "Of course you can! And you should!" He smiled at the young airbender. "Good things breed good feelings; feelings are a part of love, after all! But feelings should never define us or control us. We can _feel_ terrible or evil or attached, but that doesn't make us so." Aang nodded in agreement. Iroh continued. "Attachment really refers to your _will,_ not your _feelings_: what will _you_ choose? To be attached to someone or to love them and be willing to let them go?" He shrugged. "I loved my son; but when he wanted to become a military man like myself, I was afraid that he would be killed. My love for him beckoned me to send his platoon to the rear and avoid the fighting." He sighed. "But we needed his unit in the assault on the Outer Wall of Ba Sing Se. I didn't let my attachment for him overcome my duty as a general."

There was a slight pause. "If only I had known my true destiny…" He sighed heavily.

Aang nodded and left unasked whether his son survived. He got the feeling that he didn't. Hoping to take Iroh's mind off of that, he asked another question that bugged him. He struggled to verbalize his thoughts: "So…love is…you truly love someone when…" He furrowed his brow. This was a rather hard thing to describe. "True love wants what's best for someone else. But you follow your attachments when you deny what is best in favor of something selfish." He glanced at Iroh, a questioning look in his eyes.

Iroh smiled back at him. "That sounds right to me!"

"Hmm." Aang hummed. "So…if I love Katara–romantically, I mean–then I truly love her if I know that's what's best for her." Iroh nodded. Aang cocked his head. "But how do you figure that out?"

Iroh chuckled and clapped his hand onto Aang's shoulder. "Spend a lot of time together. You both will figure it out in time."

Aang shifted, Earthbending the passage a little farther down, his mind deep in thought.

"If you don't mind…" Aang started, turning to Iroh, who raised an eyebrow. "I need a moment to think over something."

"Certainly." He smiled as the young airbender sat cross-legged, closing his eyes in the ancient meditative style. Images of Katara swarmed Aang's mind as he furrowed his brow.

_If I find out that Katara is better off with someone else…_ The mere thought made Aang's stomach turn. _Will I be willing to let her go?_

He tried to imagine the worst case scenario: a scene where she proposes her love to him, but he knows this isn't for the best. _Can I do what's right and turn her away?_

For a few moments, his heart ached. He reminded himself sternly: this is just a hypothetical thought. Just a thought exercise. He breathed in deeply, his heart racing.

And he chose.

_I will do what is best for her._

He chose love over attachment; which meant that Aang had let go of his greatest attachment to earthly things.

He felt a sudden release of pressure; the burden he had placed on himself was gone. His whole being was filled with light. Aang suddenly felt intimately connected to all of the past Avatars; their presence suddenly became apparent and real. Their power flowed through him.

His eyes snapped open, pulsing with a brilliant, piercing light, as his tattoo emitted the same sacred energy. Iroh stepped back, eyes wide open, as the Avatar stood.

Aang had mastered the Avatar state; and it was truly a wonder to behold. Iroh took a deep breath, steadying his heart; he was in the presence of the Avatar–the visible and corporeal hand of Balance and Justice in the world, given authority over the nations. He could sense the wisdom and power of hundreds of Avatars in the body of this young man.

In a single thrust of his arm, the rest of the tunnel burrowed deep into the earth, spilling out into a grand and beautiful crystal cavern. The light faded from Aang as he withdrew from the Avatar state.

Aang beamed with joy as he turned to Iroh. "Toph was right: you give great advice. Thank you."

Iroh simply nodded as he returned the smile. That was the kind of man Iroh wanted to be.

As they stepped into the great cavern, glittering and shining in all of its earthen beauty, his face turned more serious. He got the feeling that the time for counseling was coming to an end; the time for battle was fast approaching.

* * *

Katara sat on the floor of the cavern, curled in the fetal position. Her mind wandered among memories: her simple life before she found Aang; their adventure to the North Pole; her training as a Waterbender; all the strangers they met and befriended; her face began to grow into a bittersweet smile. Life, while stressful, was also peaceful. Even fun!

Now, laying in an earthen prison, she began to wonder if she would even be able to see her brother again. Or her father. Or Aang.

As if on cue, one of the walls exploded and a small figure flew through, a blue arrow showing plainly through the smoke.

"Aang!" She shouted, as a smile formed across her face. They ran to each other and collapsed into an embrace. "I was beginning to lose hope." Katara whispered.

Aang returned the embrace. "Katara. You're alright." Relief was evident in his voice.

She pulled back, wiping her eyes dry. Suddenly, she noticed Iroh, who stood by the hole in the wall. She flung herself back, arms raising into defensive positions. "Aang! Watch out!"

Aang turned around quickly, but laughed when he realized she was worried about Iroh. "He's a friend, Katara."

Iroh bowed to her and motioned towards the central cavern behind him. "I could never refuse to help such a pretty young lady as yourself." He winked with a smile as he took her hand and helped her step through the opening. Katara giggled, surprised at his sudden kindness, as she took his hand and entered the central cavern. Iroh's eyes searched the corners as they walked towards the far side of the cave, a frown overtaking his face. "Have you seen Zuko?"

"Zuko?" She narrowed her eyes as she stepped over a small canal of water. "Is he behind this?"

Aang shook his head. "Believe it or not, Iroh and Zuko are _with_ us this time. Azula infiltrated the city, taking control of the Dai Li. She's planning a coup." Aang grinned fiercely. "But we're a step ahead of her this time."

"Oh, really?" A mocking voice echoed in the chamber. Aang's voice froze in his throat as he swiveled around the room.

There, in an alcove in the back of the cavern, stood Azula, Princess of the Fire Nation, flanked by two of her Dai Li agents. She smirked.

"I'm afraid your friends ran into…complications. You see," she said, leaping lightly to the floor of the cave, "three of the Kyoshi warriors were attending the Earth King when the Water tribe boy and the blind girl came to tell him that there was a coup in the works." She laughed, the sharp noise stinging their ears. "Then, well…"

Katara growled at her. "What did you do to my brother?"

She flashed pure, white teeth at her in a carnivorous grin. "The Earth King invited them to stay at Lake Laogai."

A memory suddenly arose in Aang and Katara's minds: Long Feng speaking that code phrase; Jet's eyes dilating and becoming empty; Long Feng grinning triumphantly as a brainwashed Jet began the sword dance with the Avatar that would lead to his death. Anger burned deep in Katara's chest.

She yelled, bending slivers of water from the stream beside her into sharp slices aimed at the Princess. Azula swept her foot, generating a low wall of flame that dissipated the water.

The battle had begun.

* * *

Toph lay against the wall in the cell. Sokka pouted, kicking the wall absentmindedly as he mentally reviewed his fight against Ty Lee, when she spoke up. "Are any of the guards still around?"

Sokka cocked his head at the question. "Uh, I don't _think_ so. Why–"

Toph grinned, cracking her knuckles. "Watch this." She approached the door and slammed her palms into the iron door; closing her fists, she bent the metal door aside and tossed it against the wall. Sokka's jaw hit the floor.

"But…what…" He stumbled for words. "How?"

She stepped into the hallway. "Because I'm the best." She smirked, leaving a gaping and annoyed Sokka. "We need to get to Aang!"

"Wait!" The Earth King raced after them. "We need to free Bosco!"

* * *

Ty Lee cartwheeled in front of Bosco, who stared at her. "Come on, Bosco! Stand on your hands like–"

Her hands were suddenly swallowed in earth, and as her feet carried over her, collapsing against the ground in front of her, they were swallowed as well. Bosco growled in delight.

Toph stuck out a fist, launching a rock into the air, preparing to disable Mai–

"Just take the bear." She lazily waved, not moving from her comfortable position on the stairs.

"Hey!" Ty Lee shouted. "I was teaching Bosco a trick!"

Sokka waved her comment away. "Don't be silly. He was..." He paused for dramatic effect. "Only 'bearly' interested!" He beamed, proud of his pun. "Eh? Eh?"

The Earth King sighed as Ty Lee giggled.

* * *

Zuko was not in a good position.

Azula had leapt off of the alcove he had followed her to, beginning the fearsome battle with Aang and Katara. The two Dai Li agents were focusing on Iroh, who held back his dragon fire in favor of merely ferocious fire bending. But Zuko could hear the footfalls of more Dai Li agents slightly echoing in the long cavern behind him.

He had to get into the main cavern. And then, he thought, as his stomach twisted uncertainly, he had to choose.

Would he support his Uncle and the Avatar?

Or would he betray them and join Azula to regain his honor?

His heart pounded inside of him. He gritted his teeth. _Why does this keep happening_?! He growled interiorly. It seemed like his whole life was a giant conflict between the ideals of his father and his uncle. A phrase came to the forefront of his mind: _but who do_ you_ want to be_?

He closed his eyes, breathing deeply; and making his choice, he strode forward to the mouth of the cave.

* * *

Azula was afraid that, without her brother's swift intervention, she would find herself a prisoner. Or worse.

She mentally reprimanded herself. _Azula afraid? Of course not! Cautious, rather. The Dragon does not fear._

_Technically, Iroh is the only Dragon here_, whispered a small voice in her head. She cast those thoughts out. Before her stood the Avatar and the Water tribe girl; so far, they had the upper hand. She knew that the Dai Li reinforcements were close behind; but she would be incapacitated by then, and the Avatar could use his overwhelming power to annihilate her small army. She grinded her teeth.

All of her hopes now rested on Zuko. If her fool of a brother could manage to capture one of the Avatar's friends by a sneak attack, the Avatar would yield to save them. And Ba Sing Se would be hers.

The Water girl coated her arms in water and sent out thin tendrils of water towards the Fire Princess. She snarled, twirling thin lines of blue fire through the air to intercept her. The Avatar cast a blast of air at her; she had to leap and twist to avoid it, allowing the waterbender to press forward. Dual tendrils of water snaked towards her again. She backflipped, forming a wall of azure fire with her feet; but the Avatar snuffed it out before it could intercept the water. As she landed, she attempted to blast the tendril away with a punch of fire, but the water merely extended over her arm, rending it useless. The same followed with Azula's other arm. If something didn't happen soon, the fight would be over.

Iroh, in the meantime, had burned one of the Dai Li agents with a breath of fire; he lay on the ground, moaning slightly. The other had attempted to blockade the old general with a multitude of walls; but Iroh merely blew them apart as soon as they were formed. Iroh cast dual streams of fire to either side of the earthbender, who was too exhausted to stop both; one short burst scalded the bender's side. He fell to the ground, out of commission.

Iroh glanced up at the alcove Azula had entered from. He could see other Dai Li agents beginning to pour out of the hole, fanning out in a flanking maneuver. He adopted the fearsome horse stance, centering himself to prepare a lightning strike, when he felt a sudden, sharp, burning pain engulf his right leg. Iroh's eyes widened as he cried out, falling to the ground.

He had been burned.

As he fell, he twisted his body, looking to his right, to see a scene that tormented his heart for weeks to come: Prince Zuko stood behind Katara, severing her tendrils of water with a quick burst of flame and pinning her arms behind her back. She gasped as Azula, the water having sloughed off her arms, quickly jabbed forward with a bolt of blue flame, which struck Aang's shoulder. He cried out and grimaced in pain.

"It seems you've been played for a fool, Avatar." She sneered. Aang turned and gasped.

"Katara!" Aang's grey eyes burned with anger as they alighted upon Zuko. "Zuko, what have you done? You burned your uncle!"

"I am fulfilling my destiny." Zuko said with a face like stone. He stared at the Avatar, holding a knife of flame to Katara's neck. Katara didn't dare struggle as the fiery knife stung her neck; she could feel the heat pulsing against her carotid artery. She gritted her teeth.

"You betrayed your Uncle!" Katara yelled. Zuko's heart twisted in his chest. He fiercely resisted the urge to look at his Uncle. To see the burn he had caused. _Honor is a greater cause_, he thought, attempting to calm his rioting soul. He twisted Katara's arms, eliciting a short yelp from her. "Keep quiet." He murmured, anger ripe in his voice.

"Unless you surrender, your friend will die." Azula stated as a matter of fact. Her lips curled into a smile. The Avatar will surrender.

She had won.

The Dai Li agents poured out from the hole in the wall, surrounding them and binding Iroh with unnecessary force. Aang looked about him, his gaze turning sadder and sadder. He took in a deep breath.

Then a small smile formed on his face. His eyes met Katara's blue eyes, wet with tears.

She shook her head and whispered, "No, Aang…"

He merely smiled and looked at Azula. "I'm afraid you miscalculated, Princess."

Her smile turned to a frown.

His eyes and tattoo suddenly shone with a brilliant and blinding light as a thousand voices spoke as one: "We do not compromise with injustice." He rose in the air. Azula, though she was in shock, quickly motivated herself, rushing into her lightning form. To no avail. Immediately, a gale of wind picked her up and flung her into the ranks of the Dai Li. She would never get a chance to unleash her fearsome lightning in these crystal caverns.

The earth split between the Avatar and the Dai Li, and a mountain of fire sprung from the breach, turning and chasing the Dai Li as they fled wholesale.

In an effort to save Katara, Aang pulled the entire stream over the duo, immediately putting out any fire. Zuko did not intend to actually kill Katara; he didn't expect the Avatar to actually fight and risk her life.

Well, Aang did. And it worked. Azula and the Dai Li were routed, while Zuko feebly attempted to keep his hold on Katara as the river swept over them.

However, Iroh was caught up into the river as well. Aang's shoulder wound continued to burn him; soon, his body was too weak to sustain the Avatar state without risk. Exiting the Avatar state, Aang released his hold of the water as he collapsed on the ground, breathing heavily. It spilled back into the canal, rapidly pulling its occupants further into the caverns.

Katara and Zuko had been separated during this, so Katara, having control of her arms again, was about to bend herself out of the rapidly moving stream when she noticed Iroh, whose hands and feet remained bound by earthen hands, sinking. She shook her head and focused on bending him out of the water first; after all, there's no reason why she can't bend herself out after! So she thought.

However, Zuko was still intent on his prize. As Katara cast Iroh onto dry land, he attacked her from behind, knocking her unconscious. He grabbed onto her, making sure her unconscious form remained afloat; she was his only leverage against the Avatar now. He and Katara floated down the river, away from the recovering Aang.

In the meantime, Toph and Sokka, having rescued Bosco and the Earth King, had scouted out the area that their Dai Li prisoner mentioned; Toph, through her earth bending, had found the underground lair and, with a few quick thrusts, opened the top of the cavern, creating a ladder for Aang and Iroh to escape.

As Aang looked around the room in the aftermath and noticed both Katara and Zuko were missing, he cast his eyes to the ground and sighed. He didn't see what had happened, so he didn't know until Iroh informed him. He went down the stream a little and found that the river split and wove among rapids and dark tunnels.

There was no time to search for her–not if they're going to escape before the Dai Li return. Aang could not stop the Dai Li or the coup in his condition; even the Avatar state needed a functioning body to work with! Not to mention how incredibly dangerous it would be to activate the Avatar state when you can barely stand.

Yet he cast his gaze down the dark tunnels, his heart aching, longing to go search for her. He closed his eyes. He knew that the Dai Li would be waiting upon his return; he would not be able to escape.

As they piled aboard Appa, Aang cast another sorrowful look in the cave behind him. _I did what was best for Ba Sing Se_. He thought, with a tinge of sadness. _I did what was right_. He closed his eyes and leaned against Appa.

_Hopefully you're alright, Katara._


	4. The Aftermath

**A/N: Hello! Hope y'all enjoy this new chapter. I must warn you all: if I were to liken the story to a day...we're at about midnight right now. Everything is in the dark, but the story is quickly progressing to sunrise; so endure any tedious conversations or angst until the meat of the story arrives! After all, what good is a climax to a story without the upward slope?**

**So enjoy the show.**

* * *

Zuko blindly stretched a hand out in the dark, winding stream, hoping that it wouldn't suddenly meet jutting rocks or stone walls. He doubted they would fare well in such an encounter, especially since his other hand was wrapped around Katara, keeping her head above water.

_A just punishment for a traitor_, a voice whispered to him from the darkness. Zuko gritted his teeth, shaking his head.

"_He's_ the traitor! He saved the Avatar and destroyed my chance to regain my honor!" He yelled at the tunnel. His voice echoed, reverberating above the sound of rushing water. Katara began to slip from his arms; he grunted, shifting his torso and pushing her head above water for another moment. So far, she's been above water, so he dearly hoped that she wouldn't die on him. Then nothing would save him from the Avatar's wrath.

_As usual, you only care because she's useful_, the voice whispered again with a hint of disgust. _Unlike your Uncle._

"Stop it! I did what I had to!"

The water pulled him sharply to his left, whipping him against the solid earthen walls. His side slammed into the wall; Zuko gritted his teeth and grunted at the sudden pain. He used the wall as leverage and launched himself from the edge, crossing the small stream to the other side. To his immense relief, his outstretched hand met cool, solid earth.

They had found land.

He anchored his feet as best he could in the ground beneath him and lifted Katara onto the patch of earth before lifting himself out. His clothes were soaking wet and clung to him, refusing to be even moderately comfortable.

He lifted his palm, generating a small flame, to reveal that they sat on the shore of the intersection of the underground river and a small walking path that appeared to wind upwards; it would likely end up in a small Earth Kingdom village. Zuko closed his fists, snuffing the small flame out, as he leaned against the wall, exhausted. They weren't in danger of drowning, as they were for the past five minutes, so he could _finally_ take a breather.

He closed his eyes, exhaling. Now he had a much bigger long term problem. How to stop the Water tribe girl from bending water and escaping once she awoke.

The voice from the darkness spoke again with a haunting ring. _Perhaps you should burn her. Seems to work with all your other problems_.

An image of Iroh rose in his mind. Zuko had regretted looking at his uncle after striking him with the bolt of fire. It was bad enough that he had to smell the sudden stench of burnt skin; but seeing his Uncle's eyes flash with the pain of betrayal when he realized that _Zuko had burned him_…

He closed his eyes, turning them away from the imaginary image. "I just…" His eyes had begun to brim with tears, now that he was alone. "I just wanted my honor back! Is that so bad?" He cast an accusing glance at the void before him, daring his imagination to speak back. "I did what I had to do!"

_Is that your destiny, or is that what others have told you_? His Uncle's words from the prior week rose to his mind unbidden. Zuko sagged against the wall again.

"Augh!" He rested his head in his hands. "This isn't what I wanted!"

_The only person to blame for being here…is _you_._

Zuko, the Son of the Fire Lord and Crown Prince of the Fire Nation, began to weep.

* * *

Iroh laid on Appa's back, steadying his breathing. His ankle burned steadily; with each inhalation, the pain grew and with each exhalation, it dimmed. But with the pain came healing: Iroh could almost feel the fire purifying his skin and blood. He pursed his lips in thought. _Fitting_, he thought, _that the element of destruction should be my element of healing_.

Admitted, it didn't have much capacity to heal; all it can do is cauterize and purify. Not unlike applying a torch to an open wound (in both healing capability and pain).

He exhaled slowly, the pain fading. It had only been a few hours since the (amended) Gaang had fled Ba Sing Se. Aang had almost immediately fallen asleep, exhausted; Iroh grimaced as he thought of the healing that Aang would need. Fire healing is never pleasant.

He sighed. That image rose in his mind again: Zuko looking at him with a stony face, devoid of all emotion–his hand still smoking from the bolt of fire he had cast at Iroh. A sad frown covered Iroh's face. _Hopefully it is not too late for you, Zuko_, he thought. _Hopefully you will find the right way again._

He held back his tears as he heard Aang shifting. Opening his eyes, he sat up, eyeing the young Avatar, who was laying on his back, eyes open and staring into the sky with a mournful look.

"You will see your friend again." Iroh broke the silence, watching as Aang's head snapped to the side, glancing at Iroh. He could see Aang's eyes water.

"I can't believe she's gone." He whispered. "I mean, I know she's still alive. She is a water bender, after all. And I'm sure Zuko didn't want to kill her…"

Iroh stayed silent.

"I just miss her." Aang dried his eyes with the back of his hand. "I was ready to let her go, but now that she might be alive…" He sighed. "I could've saved her! If only Azula hadn't hit me, I could've saved the whole city!" He sat up, wincing as his shoulder burned. "Augh!" He leaned back down.

Iroh stood up slowly. "I may not be a waterbender, but I can still help you heal."

Aang raised an eyebrow. "How? Fire can't heal."

Iroh smiled lightly. "Fire is not just destructive. It is living, thriving and, in this case, purifying." He grimaced. "Though I must warn you that fire healing is not pleasant, like water healing. It is powerful and direct. It does not take your suffering into consideration."

Aang groaned. That certainly didn't sound very fun.

"But it _is_ quick." Iroh amended. "If you wish to be ready to fight soon, this is your best opportunity."

Aang took a deep breath, closed his eyes and leaned back on the bison. "Please try to make it not very painful." Aang asked through clenched teeth. Iroh approached and knelt beside the Avatar.

"Think of this as a meditation exercise." He smiled, coating his hands in fire.

* * *

When Katara awoke, she immediately felt sharp pain piercing her skull. The back of her head throbbed, and as she opened her eyes, bright light flooded her vision. She winced, keeping her eyes only slightly open as they adjusted to the bright day.

As her mind slowly awoke, she became more aware of the many things she felt: her hands were twisted slightly uncomfortably behind her back, thick rope lay across her wrists; she was riding some sort of animal which slightly bobbed as it ran; and her feet were tied into what she presumed was the stirrups or harness for the animal. The movement certainly wasn't helping her headache; it began to spike higher as the animal increased its speed. She softly groaned as the pounding grew.

Immediately, she sensed movement in front of her. Though the bright light still mostly blinded her, she could make out the form of someone sitting in front of her on the saddle; the person twisted around, looking at her. They were fairly close–close enough that she could see the shape of his face through her heavy-lidded eyes. She gasped.

Nearly half of his face was covered in an old burn scar. His amber eyes narrowed.

"You're awake."

She began to struggle, seeing if there was any way she could waterbend or break out of her bonds. Unfortunately, neither could be done.

"Don't waste your time." He turned back around to face the front. She could see that they were on a small backwoods path through a forest; the animal appeared (by sight and smell) to be an ostrich horse, trotting along at a steady pace.

"What do you want with me?" Katara growled, her blue eyes narrowing. They had fully adjusted to the midday sun by this point.

"I intend to trade you for the Avatar." He spoke curtly in his raspy voice without turning towards her. Katara considered attempting to lean forward and knock him off the horse, perhaps; but the knots that tied her hands together also kept her tied to the baggage that the ostrich horse carried in the rear of the harness. She wasn't going to be able to move _at all_.

She shook her head in exasperation. "I can't believe you! Your Uncle said you changed!"

"Don't bring up my Uncle!" Zuko snapped. He glanced back at her, amber eyes burning. "Be quiet or I'll make you."

Katara shut her mouth at Zuko's threat. She knew that she was in a bad spot. There is no way that she would be able to get out of her bindings; in fact, her only hope was for Zuko to eventually undo the knots when nature called. But, even then, she could imagine him securing her from waterbending. She internally sighed. _At least Aang is alright. _She thought pensively. _But why didn't they rescue me…?_

"Can I at least ask where we are going?"

"No."

She ground her teeth together. "Why not?! It's not like I can send messages to Aang in my current state!"

Zuko whirled around and looked at her with a frown. "How do I know you can't? It doesn't make sense for the Avatar to leave his friend behind. I expected him to pull us out of the tunnels with his waterbending!" He pointed a finger at her. "Maybe he let me escape so that he could track me!"

"Oh, and get what prize, exactly?" She sneered. "We know that you don't have any friends out here. The only friend you had–"

"Don't!" Zuko swiped his hand, cutting her off. Tendrils of flame sputtered from his hand, echoes of the rage in his heart. "Listen, I don't want to hurt you–"

"Then why did you kidnap me? Why are you hunting Aang?" She pushed forward recklessly. She was tired of the constant threat of Zuko appearing wherever they went. "If you really are such a great guy–"

"Because I must regain my honor!" He yelled, flames erupting from his hands once more. This time, Katara could feel the heat. Fear began to brew deep in her chest. _There's no escaping the flames if he decides to direct them towards me_. "My father will end my exile if I bring him the Avatar. That is my sole purpose now." He turned away from her again. "Nothing else matters."

She slowly exhaled through her nose, closing her eyes. The small coil of fear in her stomach bid her to keep her mouth shut. But her anger burned too deep for her fear to stop her. "Not even your uncle, it seems."

"Augh!" Zuko snapped around, grabbing her neck with his left hand and generating a ball of fire in his right. His teeth were clenched together so tightly that she could see his jaw quivering with anger. He pulled her closer to the fireball in his right hand. "Speak of him again and you'll share my scar."

Katara began to hyperventilate as the fireball grew closer. She had never seen Zuko like this before. Fear rent her almost speechless. She merely whispered, "No, please. Stop."

Zuko froze, watching her blue eyes widen and begin to tear from fear. Fear of him. He suddenly let her go and shrunk back in the saddle, facing the other direction. He quenched the fireball and pressed his feet into the ostrich horse's side, urging it forward.

Katara, once Zuko let her go, was pulled back by her restraints to the pack. She inhaled deeply, closing her eyes and willing her body to stop shaking. _He didn't burn you. It's OK_. She exhaled, ignoring the nervous fluttering of her throat. _Be strong_. She bit her lip as the urge to cry hit her. _Aang, Sokka and Toph will come for you. They'll find you!_ She thought, urging herself to believe it.

But as the ostrich horse trotted on, she began to wonder how Aang would find her if he hadn't seen her since she and Zuko were swept down the dark caverns. _If Aang didn't see what exit Zuko used to exit the caves…how would he know where to look?_

Hope began to dim in her heart again.

* * *

Zuko stared at his hand. He could hear the Water tribe girl breathing heavily. Katara, he thought; that was her name. He heard it plenty of times during past fights, but avoided calling them by name. Too personal. But Zuko had recognized the look in her eyes when he threatened her; it was the same look he saw in Azula's victims when she wanted to 'play'; it was the same look that he had when his father held a fireball to _his_ face. That was the goal, Zuko supposed: instill fear in her. To do as his father does.

Zuko realized in that instant that he didn't want to be like his father. Not in that way, anyway.

His stomach felt uneasy. _I almost burned her_. He reached up and traced the outline of his burnt skin. _I almost cursed her with the same pain and horror that I've felt–just because I didn't like what she said_. And it would be worse for her, he realized. She was a beautiful woman; scarring her like that _for life_…

He shook his head. _I can't believe I did that. I was so close to losing control_…

He remembered how he exercised control with Commander Zhao during his Agni Kai. He remembered how he exercised control when he could have stolen the Avatar's bison. But now, when a girl merely mentioned his Uncle's name…

_Who am I becoming?_

He shook his head. Now was not the time to be lost in thought. He prodded the ostrich horse on and turned his mind back to the plan.

He wasn't certain if the Avatar had retaken Ba Sing Se after he and Katara were washed downstream or if his sister had managed the coup regardless. Either way, he had to find the Avatar if he was to get in a bargaining position.

_And what next? You never think these things through_! The voice of his Uncle popped back into his head. Zuko grimaced; the same words of his Uncle convinced him to release the Avatar's bison. He cut off the voice before it could ramble on with the rest of the speech. _Enough! Stop thinking about him!_ Zuko reprimanded himself.

If Zuko tried to make the trade without a comparable force behind him, the Avatar and his friends would sweep him away. There'd be nothing he could do. So, first of all, he needed the Fire Nation. He had saved Azula's life and betrayed the Avatar; surely, his sister would follow through on her word to accept him back. Especially since he had a way to capture the Avatar.

He nodded. That was the best idea: meet back up with the Fire Nation forces that Azula headed. He knew that the harbor south of Ba Sing Se was under assault by the Fire Nation Eastern Fleet; if Ba Sing Se had fallen, they would control the port; and if the Avatar had saved the city, Azula would likely make her way there to regroup.

There was still one rather major problem he faced.

He had no idea where this path led.

The ostrich horse continued trotting down the forest road.

* * *

Chief Hakota stood on the deck of the Cruiser-class Fire Navy ship that he, Sokka and the other Water tribe members had captured, overlooking the sea and Serpent's Pass. Aang stood by his side, a steely expression (rare, indeed, for the gentle airbender) across his face.

"No sign of her, hmm?" The Chief sighed. "As much as I desire to go comb the caverns for her, I don't think that's the best course of action."

"I agree." Aang said. Dark rims showed under his eyes. He had been flying around the Earth Kingdom all evening, after his healing session with Iroh. It was brutal, but his wounds were closed. He was ready to fight. "Our priority is stopping the War before it causes even more deaths and imbalance."

They stood and watched as several more Cruiser-class ships docked at one of the Ba Sing Se ports. The city had fallen during Aang's recovery; large red banners lay unfurled across the top of the magnificent wall, now occupied by tanks and firebenders.

"What do you think, Chief?" Aang motioned towards the great city. "I have control of the Avatar state. Should we retake the city?"

Chief Hakota frowned. His heart told him that he should–if Katara was still alive, she would either be Zuko's captive, and thus held in Ba Sing Se's prisons, or on the run in the underground. Or there's the slight chance that they were outside the city, but then there's no way they could find them. The Earth Kingdom is simply far too big for a search party to scour. But if she's in Ba Sing Se–

He pushed the thought away. This isn't about Katara. It's about ending the War and saving countless lives. He squinted at the fleet in the dock.

"…we might be able to do it." The Chief said after a long pause. "But I don't know how effective it would be." He turned to Aang. "Would the Earth Kingdom be able to restore the ranks of their soldiers?"

Aang opened his mouth to respond when a familiar voice spoke behind him: "There are other factors that you must consider." Iroh strode beside them. His ankle had sufficiently healed by this time. The Chief nodded to him.

"General."

Iroh smiled. "I am no General any longer. At least, not of the Fire Nation!" He chuckled. "Aang, I believe your destiny is not to become involved in the strategic battles of the War. You must focus on bringing balance; and that only happens when the root causes are dealt with." His face darkened. "Do you know how the War began?"

Aang and the Chief both frowned. "No," Aang admitted, "I've never thought about it. I know Roku was the Avatar when it started, but he hasn't said anything about it yet."

Iroh laughed. "Well, why don't you ask him?"

Aang blinked. "I can do that?"

"Of course! You've mastered the Avatar state, haven't you? Surely the Avatar can commune with his past lives!" Iroh clapped a hand on Aang's shoulder, guiding him back towards the interior of the ship. "Let me lead you to a meditation chamber. There, you might be able to speak with Roku." He glanced at Aang with a suddenly serious face. "If you do not heal the root causes of this war, Aang, then any peace you obtain will only be temporary." He paused, opening the door to the interior of the ship. "Sooner or later, the enemy will raise its head once more, and the world will be subjected to another war."

Aang frowned. After a hundred years of war, he didn't think the world could take another. Not without balance becoming lost in an even more desperate sense. He and Iroh entered the ship's interior.

Chief Hakota called out after them. "What shall we do in the meantime?"

Iroh turned back to Hakota and shrugged. "We will wait."

* * *

Aang knelt in the darkness of the meditation chamber, folding himself into the comfortable lotus position. He folded his hands upon his legs and closed his eyes, exhaling slowly.

"Avatar Roku, I ask for your counsel." Aang intoned, stilling himself internally.

He felt something stir in his heart; and suddenly, he felt Avatar Roku's presence fill the room. He sat before Aang, a gentle smile on his face. His deep voice echoed in Aang's mind.

"You are right, Aang; all your past lives' knowledge and power are available to you, as long as you look deep within yourself."

"Avatar Roku, I have been told that, in order to end the Hundred Year War, I must bring balance to what caused the War." Aang paused. "But I don't know what those causes are!"

Avatar Roku sighed heavily. "I am afraid I do, Aang. Allow me to tell you my story…"


	5. Troubled Hearts

**A/N: Behold more angst (don't worry; it won't last forever). Prepare thyselves: we are quickly approaching more climactic chapters! I must warn you: I don't have much experience with this kind of writing, so if something seems off about anything, PM or review and let me know! When I try and read it, it's hard to imagine what my readers' reaction will be.**

**Also, if any artists find themselves with free time and desire to attempt to create a cover image, PM me and let me know! (Though I can be quite picky. Also, you should wait until you read ch. 7; I think it'll give you some great inspiration!)**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Night was falling. Zuko and Katara had been traveling along the same dirt road for several hours after some extremely uncomfortable bathroom breaks (Zuko insisted on keeping her hands restrained and visible, which made for some very awkward positioning, though they managed to preserve everyone's dignity) when he spotted a grove not far from the road. He pulled on the ostrich horse's reins, leading the creature towards the clearing through the woods.

He glanced behind him at Katara, guilt rising in his heart. The poor girl had been silent all day since his outburst; she would flinch whenever he moved quickly. He internally sighed. _She must think I'm some kind of monster, just waiting for an excuse to burn her. Like Azula_. He began to chew on his lip. _Why did I ever choose Azula over_–

He shook his head, clenching his teeth in anger (and thus accidentally biting his lip). _Persevere, Zuko_, he thought to himself. _Your family is worth it_.

Another voice whispered to him again: _isn't your Uncle family too? But look what you did to him!_ Zuko gave a low growl of frustration, causing Katara to shiver. He shook his head, taking a deep breath. _Stop this nonsense. Focus._

He slid off of the ostrich horse when they entered the clearing. He began to unpack the supplies from the back of the ostrich horse. Katara watched him. He glanced at her and paused, blinking. The contrast between her bright, blue eyes, her tanner complexion and her hair style struck him as…_beautiful_. His heart caught for a moment before regaining it's rhythm.

He looked away hastily, much to Katara's surprise. His jaw had been set, his golden/amber eyes burned and he looked tense; Katara had guessed that he was nearing a breaking point where he would finally let his anger boil over and hurt her in some way. Thankfully, she was wrong; instead of reacting in anger, he had frozen. His jaw had dropped only a few centimeters–enough, however, to alert Katara that he had been caught unawares in some way. _Was he surprised that I was watching him?_ Katara wondered as she frowned, continuing to watch him. He was constructing a small fire pit.

_Not large enough to roast me in_, Katara thought with a small ounce of relief. The thought almost made her laugh. _He doesn't want to kill you, Katara_! She reminded herself. _He just wants to…_

She stopped, her frown deepening._ He wants to trade me for the Avatar, right? Then why is he so angry? He has the bait..._ Frankly, Katara wasn't worried for Aang. After the incredible power and strength that Aang had shown in the caverns, she had no doubt that he could handle himself. _And_, she thought with a glimpse of hope, A_ang had Iroh. If Zuko feared his uncle enough to burn him, then Iroh would certainly be an ally_.

_Perhaps even Aang's firebending teacher._

She turned her attention back to Zuko. He had kindled a small flame and was currently rolling out the sleeping bags. His movements were tense; she could see his teeth grinding against each other. _So much anger…_

Finally, he glared at her and barked out, "What are you looking at?"

She blinked, attempting to move backwards before she realized that she was still tied to the horse. And, thus, couldn't move. "Nothing! I was just…" Her sentence trailed off. She didn't want to voice what was on her mind, lest he take offense and use it against her.

Zuko snorted in disbelief, turning away. He saw her eyes; they were looking at his face. At his scar. He resisted the impulse to outline the burnt flesh that scarred his countenance. The mark of his dishonor never left him; instead, it only brewed pity. He closed his eyes, remembering the many looks of horror that he had been greeted with after the Agni Kai: the wide eyes, the fluttering breath, the involuntary step back, how their faces would melt into compassion and pity…and fear.

"Zuko!" Katara yelled, more than loud enough for him to hear her. He dispelled the memories and grunted. He refused to look at her; he didn't want to see that same reaction of pity and horror play itself out again.

"What?"

"Neither of us have eaten today. What, you think I'm going to alert Aang through my eating?"

Zuko grimaced. Dinner (and lunch) had entirely eluded his mind; he didn't have much of an appetite. "I have jerky rations, and the camp is set. So stop complaining."

"I'm not–ugh!" She growled at him, tossing her hair back and looking in the other direction. _Of course I capture the dramatic one_, Zuko internally sighed. He stiffly walked to the ostrich horse and undid the restraints holding her feet to the horse.

"I'm going to undo your wrist restraints now. If you try to run," he growled, "I'll make sure you'll never run again."

Katara nodded, affecting a look of fear on her face. Which was half-true, to be frank; after his threat earlier, she certainly believed that he would burn her if she tried to run. But, in her mind, freedom was worth the risk. As soon as her hands were freed, she immediately lashed out, pushing Zuko back, and leapt off the ostrich horse (which was tied to a tree), taking off down the road; she could hear, not far away, the gentle bubbling of a creek. Zuko cursed and sprinted after her, fashioning coils of fire around his hands. If she could just get within bending range of the water, she could get out of this mess and get back to Aang.

Unfortunately for Katara, the river was too far away for her to bend water and defend herself in time. Zuko's fire whips snapped out, scalding her ankles. She fell with a cry, clutching her tender, blazing flesh below her knees. Zuko caught up, breathing heavily. Katara looked at him fearfully. It was time for him to make good on his threat. His hands blazed with fire; her breathing escalated as her thoughts began to spiral. _He's going to burn me he's going to burn me he's going to burn me…_

But as Zuko looked at her, he stopped cold. Her eyes–wide, horrified and teary–tortured him. He had seen this scene many times, as Fire Nation soldiers (or worse: Azula) terrorized the prisoners that were captured. It left a sick feeling in his stomach as he recognized himself in those same shoes. The same shoes that burned his Uncle.

He shook his head, gritting his teeth. He knelt down, winding a rope along the length of her legs. Partially true to his word, Zuko made certain she wouldn't run again (though she could hop and limp at a painfully slow pace). Though a rope was hardly as permanent a punishment as Katara expected. He finished by tying her hands behind her back once more, leaving her hardly able to move.

"You can heal, right?"

She blinked in surprise, nodding.

He nodded. He jogged back to the camp, grabbing a small bucket; and filling it with water from the stream, approached Katara. He frowned at her as he knelt beside her bound form. "I will guide your hands into the bucket and then to your wound. If I even so much as _suspect_ that you'll bend against me, I will make good on my threat."

Katara frowned at him as he grasped her hands. _He's letting me near water to heal myself? I didn't think he'd care…_ His grip was uncomfortably tight; but when she felt her hands dip into the coolness of the water, she breathed in relief. It had been a while since she was able to bend her element. She coated her hands in water. Leading her bound hands to her ankle wounds, he watched as the water glowed with a bright light, softening the burn and coating her skin in a fresh gleam.

She glanced up at Zuko, his jaw once again set in a frown. She idly wondered if he knew how to smile. He was watching her heal with narrowed eyes; but, sensing her gaze, he looked up at her and growled. "That's enough!"

She opened her mouth, about to respond indignantly (what, can she not even _look _at him now?), when a thought crossed her mind. _Don't push it, Katara. He just let you heal your burn for trying to escape; that's generous for Zuko. Try not to make him even _more_ angry._

She frowned. _Very generous for Zuko indeed_. She narrowed her eyes as she watched him (ignoring his occasional glare). He lifted her hands, shaking the water off of them and looping them behind her, tying them together behind her back. It would definitely be impossible for her to waterbend; impossible to do anything, really. _Why would he let me heal myself? He's the one who burned me! And he threatened to burn my face earlier. _She shivered, remembering the blazing heat of the fireball, Zuko's yelling, the impending flame… She blinked, turning her attention back to the present._ But he's willing to let me heal my ankles?_ She crinkled her nose in thought. _This is confusing…_

Since Katara was deep in thought, she didn't see a rather large tree root in her immediate path; even though she wasn't making fast speed, with her legs bound and all, her balance rested entirely on her two-feet-bound-as-one. So when they collided with the root, Katara fell. Her arms were tied behind her back, so she couldn't stop the fall.

Zuko gasped; as she plummeted towards the ground, he reached out and slowed her fall, grasping onto the rope. He did not reach out in time to stop her fall, but it was enough that Katara only felt a little bruised instead of seriously injured. Nevertheless, she let out a slight groan.

"A little help?" She raised an eyebrow at Zuko, as she couldn't lift herself off the ground. Being bound and all.

Zuko grunted, kneeling near the ground as he wrapped his arms around Katara's bound form. Katara stifled a gasp as he lifted her up in his arms, carrying her back towards the campsite.

"I can walk! You don't have to–"

"Look, I don't like this any more than you do!" Zuko glared at her. "Just deal with it."

Katara pursed her lips. _Even when he's being nice, he's mean! Augh! What is his deal?_

As Katara now began to grind _her_ teeth in frustration, Zuko found himself filled with a strange impulse: for some reason, this felt _right_. Not the carrying of a bound captive; that was strange. But the feeling he experienced when he knelt down to pick her up and carry her because she couldn't do it herself–that, oddly enough, stirred his heart. His eyes began to drift towards her hair. It was rather beautiful, he had to admit. Flowing, luscious–

He snapped his eyes in front of him, blinking rapidly. _Where did that come from?_ He focused his mind ahead of him again; but, as she shifted slightly in his arms, his breathing escalated. He suddenly felt very awkward.

As they reached the campsite, he walked towards the patch of grass that would serve as Katara's 'bed.' He laid her down slowly, careful to make sure he didn't drop her too quickly. She ignored him. He stood up and began to walk away when he paused and, turning back to her, gazed at her intently.

"Are you cold?"

Katara turned towards him, raising an eyebrow. "If I say yes, are you going to light me on fire 'to keep me warm?'"

Zuko frowned. "If you keep acting this way, I might!"

"You're the one who captured me! Why should I trust you?"

"Because–well, fine! Don't trust me. Better off that way." He huffed and walked away, ignoring her for the remainder of the evening. He spitefully put their dinner rations back inside the bag, ignoring her questioning (and then angry) looks, before retiring for the night.

Katara, by this point, was utterly confused. He captured her and threatened her; but then he let her heal herself after he stopped her. Then he expressed concern as to whether she was cold…only to turn angry and spitefully shut away the food. It was like he couldn't make his mind up on who he was going to be: kind Zuko or cruel Zuko. _Though_, Katara thought, _if he were ever truly 'kind Zuko,' he would let me go_.

She snorted (which elicited a glare from Zuko). Like that would happen.

* * *

Aang sat in the darkness of Iroh's meditation chamber on board the captured Fire Nation cruiser-class vessel, breathing evenly. His visit with Avatar Roku was incredible; and, unfortunately, incredibly troubling.

Roku had shown him the instigator of the war: Fire Lord Sozin, the man who exterminated the Air Nomads and began the Hundred Year War. At first, Aang had been surprised; it seemed that the root of the war was just the Fire Lord. _So_, he thought, _defeating Fire Lord Ozai really is the solution! I've been on the right path all along!_

But after the vision, as Aang lay in the meditation chamber, he realized something: it wasn't Fire Lord Sozin that struck down the airbenders. It wasn't Fire Lord Sozin that executed every man, woman and child.

The Fire Nation soldiers did. Soldiers who were from every background, every social class, and every rank–some may even have been from the Fire Nation colonies in the Earth Kingdom! They obeyed their orders, as heinous and evil as they were, even being encouraged by some of the generals and officers. Sozin's ambition wasn't limited to him alone.

Aang realized, with a sinking heart, that there must be _thousands_ of people in the Fire Nation who don't merely tolerate Fire Lord Ozai, _but agree with him_.

He didn't simply have a Fire Lord to defeat. He had the hearts of an entire Nation to reclaim; and if he didn't, he would find the war perpetuating itself through all future generations.

He closed his eyes again. His time for meditation was most definitely _not_ over.

* * *

Chief Hakota exhaled in exasperation. "I respect that the Avatar wishes to meditate on this matter further, but I believe we are running out of time. Long term strategy is important, but short term tactics are just as essential to our survival; and right now, I don't think waiting is a good tactical decision."

Former General Iroh nodded. "I concur. When I brought the Avatar more tea for his meditation, we spoke about what he knew so far." He shook his head. "He has no urgent need to go to the Fire Nation capital."

Chief Hakota raised an eyebrow. "But what of the Day of Black Sun?"

Iroh frowned. He had heard Sokka discussing the original plan with the Chief earlier; at the moment, Sokka remained below deck entertaining Toph, who couldn't come out on the deck since no Fire Nation uniform would effectively disguise her. Iroh would have been impressed with the plan had the Earth Kingdom been able to provide the troops; as it was now…

"I am afraid that an invasion will not be very effective unless you are able to hold the city." He quirked an eyebrow at the Chief. "Can you?"

He frowned. "No. But couldn't the Avatar defeat the Fire Lord?"

Now Iroh frowned. "I know where the hidden passages are; we could potentially break into the Capital and ambush him." Chief Hakota began to look excited until Iroh waved the idea away. "But the Fire Nation is not a serpent; crushing the head will not kill the evil that lurks within it. On the contrary, if the Fire Lord were assassinated by the man meant to represent balance and peace in the world, I am afraid that more war would follow." He shook his head, glancing back towards the ship's interior. "The solution must be one that _balances_ the Fire Nation. Not one that causes greater anger and division."

"But what can be done? He must face the Fire Lord in combat and kill him; otherwise, the man will never stop trying to conquer the world!"

Iroh looked with troubled eyes out upon the rocky waters of the lake. "I admit that I do not know the solution. But I do believe that Aang can find it." He paused before whispering, "_It is his destiny."_

The two elders stood in silence for a few minutes, watching the gentle flow of the waves and the dancing of light over the evening sky. Iroh closed his eyes, inhaling deeply the scent of the water. Nature was beautiful. He sensed the Chief stir beside him, as if woken from sleep by Nature's blessing of beauty.

"In the meantime, what is our destiny?"

Iroh's jaw set in a firm line. He looked longingly at the Outer Wall of the city, rising like a monument to the great vastness of the Earth Kingdom. "I have long desired to take this City–first for the Fire Nation; and now for the Earth Kingdom."

Chief Hakota said nothing, as the old General watched the Wall.

"But this is not the time."

Hakota blinked. "What? What will we do?"

Iroh smiled. "Do not mistake me, Chief; _you_ will retake the city." He drew himself up. "But I will not. I will go with the Avatar."

Chief Hakota raised an eyebrow as Iroh smiled. "As will your son and the young earthbender as well, I am sure."

"But the Avatar is coming to liberate the city, isn't he?" Hakota motioned around the ship. "We can barely fight one enemy ship alone, as much as I don't like to admit it. The Avatar is our ace in the hole!"

At this, Iroh winked at him. "Oh, I think you'll have more help. A lot more, if I'm correct."

"Who?"

"Oh, no one important." Iroh's hand reached into one of his pockets, his fingers tracing the outline of his White Lotus tile. "Just some old friends of mine."

* * *

Zuko stared at the tree branches flowering out above him from their parent trunks. He and Katara had retired for the night a good hour ago; and Zuko was no closer to falling asleep than when he first started, though he could hear Katara's gentle, rhythmic breathing as she slept. _Lucky her,_ he thought with a sigh.

It was not so much his mind that kept him awake than his heart. Laying on the solid earth, smelling the rich nature around him–while he still didn't enjoy the occasional dampness of the earth or sore feeling that spread through his muscles in the morning, his time journeying around the Earth Kingdom with Uncle led to an attachment to nature. For the past hour, he had repeatedly attempted to dismiss all thoughts of his Uncle from his mind and think instead of what his goal was: reclaiming the Crown; returning to the Fire Nation; receiving honors from his people and, above all, his father; to finally find himself back in the family, as his father's beloved son. All would be well.

But the more he fantasized, the more empty he felt once the fantasy was over. Being the Crown Prince and having his father's love didn't seem to satisfy his heart but momentarily.

But when his mind would drift to his memories of traveling with his Uncle…

Zuko resisted his instinct to turn his thoughts away from his Uncle. He would need to confront this at some point, he reasoned; and he's not getting any sleepier…

He closed his eyes, inhaling the scent of the moss, listening to the gentle bubbling of the brook nearby, and let his mind return to those (seemingly ancient) memories. He remembered how Iroh would awake, stretching his arms and yawning, greeting the world with a smile. He remembered how they would sit in meditation–Zuko anxious to arise and begin the day, while Iroh seemed content to rest in nature. A gentle smile graced his face and Zuko could almost sense a peace in him–a peace that oft inspired Zuko to continue his own meditation, though he could only gain glimpses of the peace that Iroh seemed to constantly dwell in.

He remembered how Iroh would stop to greet strangers, regardless of how tired they were or how late the day ran. Zuko would grind his teeth while his Uncle would listen to their story. It was strange how his Uncle seemed to attract people who needed someone to listen; Iroh would greet them with a smile and, somehow, they would find themselves opening up to him about their lives. He would respond with whatever love he could show, whether it was through a hug or aged wisdom (or, especially more recently, a pot of jasmine tea–his personal favorite for brewing thoughts). Back then, Zuko would turn his mind inward, thinking about the journey ahead–where they had to go, what they needed to do and _why on earth is he still talking_?!

But now, as those memories resurfaced, Zuko found those qualities refreshing. His dreams of regaining his honor, retaining the Crown and being the best firebender he could be had slowly but certainly degraded. They seemed to be empty and dry; Zuko could no longer imagine himself fulfilled by any of those dreams. He could never see himself sitting cross-legged in meditation in the morning, fully at peace, because of power or honor.

But he could see himself at peace if he could do what his Uncle did.

He remembered how his heart had felt a strange, new kind of joy when he helped that little Earth Kingdom boy and his family at their farm; he remembered how happy he had been when he was nothing but a tea server at the Jasmine Dragon, greeting customers and finally, _finally_ free of the shame he had carried for the past three years. He remembered how their customers would smile and give heartfelt thanks; he remembered the feeling of going to bed at night, knowing that he had helped make other people's lives better.

But now, all he was doing was making lives worse.

Just a few hours ago, he had temporarily lost his mind (as he described it, anyway); he saw that Katara was shivering and began to think along the same lines that he would as a tea server: how can he help her?

But she responded snappily, insulting him. He bristled, offended that his attempt at kindness was looked down upon and doubted. He snapped at her angrily, telling her to be silent; in reality, however, he was yelling at his own heart. _Be silent! I've heard this before; I don't want to hear it again! I _will_ be happy with my honor back! I will!_

His heart felt like it was torn in two. He felt acutely the two sides of him warring within: he could feel his attraction to the Crown and his father's love burning within him, urging him to cast her concerns away and focus on his own dreams, even if that meant her captivity and pain; but he also felt a desire for the strange, new kind of joy that he felt when he lived his simple life of servitude with Uncle. It was the same fight he felt in the caverns of Ba Sing Se, where the ideals of Iroh and Ozai fought within him. Who does he want to become: the man of virtue or the man of power? What life does he want to live? One of power and royalty with his family? Or one of simple (but strangely joyful) selflessness?

It was only after another half hour of struggling that his body finally faded into sleep, his mind and heart still far from peace.


	6. Deep Thoughts

**A/N: I apologize for delaying this chapter by a week. Unfortunately, I just couldn't seem to work past the poor wording in Iroh's conversations in this chapter; I love including deep thoughts, but this time seemed bland. So know in advance that this didn't turn out as I wished. Hopefully, you'll get what i'm trying to say &amp; we'll move on! (Of course, it's not all bad; I still enjoy this chapter.)**

**In any case, next chapter is a bombshell, for good or bad. Be prepared.  
**

**Also, if you've never heard of Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo...look it up (with English subtitles, of course!). Best anime i've ever seen in my life.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

The deck of the Fire Nation cruiser at dawn was strangely beautiful, Aang thought. The dark metal didn't reflect light very well; so the contrast between the rising sun, the mountains, the lake and the deck provided a striking image.

Far down the deck, near the docking port, sat Iroh, cross-legged in his morning meditation. Aang beamed, zipping down the deck to flop beside the old General and join him. Iroh opened an eye, glancing beside him at the young airbender. He smiled as he saw Aang relax and close his eyes, beginning his own meditation.

For the first half-hour of the day, Aang and Iroh meditated in quiet. The breeze from the lake wafted over them, bringing the cool caress of the wind and the sweet scent of the bay.

Finally, the sun broke over the mountains. The wash of light spread over them, leading Iroh to give a satisfied sigh. This was his favorite part of the day: the first touch of light upon his skin made him feel like life reawakened in him; a renewed vigor spread throughout his old bones and his inner fire roared. Meditation itself was, for Iroh, like greeting an old friend; he relaxed comfortably with the silence and peace in his heart.

Aang quirked an eyebrow open, glancing at Iroh beside him. The old man had a look of peace upon him which didn't surprise Aang. As the monks used to say, meditation is a way that men open their hearts to true peace; and Aang could see that Iroh's heart was filled to the brim.

Shortly, Iroh opened his eyes and looked at Aang with a smile. "Good morning, young Avatar!"

"Good morning, Iroh!" He beamed back. "Good meditation?"

"As always." He chuckled. "And yours?"

Aang paused. He knew that Iroh was curious more so about his meditation yesterday than this morning. "I don't know the way I'm supposed to go." His shoulders slumped a little. "I know that I am destined to defeat the Fire Lord and bring balance to the world; but I also know that it's not just Ozai that's unbalanced. Hundreds–maybe even thousands!–in the Fire Nation have the same evils dwelling within their hearts as he does." He looked at Iroh almost with desperation. "The monks used to say that all life is sacred. So I can't kill Ozai! But if I don't, then the world will never be balanced! And, even if I _do_ kill Ozai, how do I know someone else won't just take his place if they have the same ambitions and desires as he does?" He raised his hands in exasperation. "I even spoke to past Avatars about it! It seems like I either must abandon my beliefs and become a killing machine for justice, or seek internal balance at the risk of destroying the balance of the world!" He sighed, placing his head in his hands. "I guess I don't know what to do."

Iroh placed a hand on Aang's shoulder. "I am proud of you, Aang. You value peace and balance more than almost everyone else I've ever met."

"But I'm the Avatar!" He spread his hands questioningly. "Isn't that a given?"

Iroh shook his head. "No, Aang. _You_ are _not_ your Avatar spirit. _You are Aang_." He poked Aang's side with every _you_. "Your internal balance and peace depends on the choices _you_ make." He poked Aang's side again, who laughed. "The greatest ability that you have is not given to you by the Avatar spirit. It's given to you because you're human!" Aang looked at him questioningly. "It is the ability to _love_." Iroh smiled. "There is nothing that brings balance to a person's heart as quickly, powerfully and lastingly as acts of true, selfless love."

"But what about balance to the world?"

Iroh winked at him. "What is the world made of, Aang?"

He cocked his head in response. "The elements?"

He laughed. "True. But what are you trying to bring balance to? Certainly not just water, earth, fire and air."

Aang pondered the question for a moment before he lit up. "Oh! People!"

"Yes, Aang. Bringing balance to the world _really_ means bringing balance to people's hearts."

Aang frowned. "That doesn't seem like something the Avatar can do. Mastering all four elements isn't related to people's hearts, after all…"

"Ask yourself this, Aang: what does love want for the beloved?"

"What's best for them."

"Which is what?"

Aang blinked. "Uh…happiness, I suppose."

"Which is?" Iroh continued to press him.

"Finding love, I suppose. And family. Peace." Aang shrugged. "Following their heart's desires."

"Hmm." Iroh hummed, stroking his goatee, looking very philosophic. "What does the heart desire most?"

"Uh…happiness?"

"But you just said happiness was determined by their heart's desires."

"Well, yes, but–"

"All their other desires lead to this desire for complete fulfillment, correct?"

"Yeah."

"What is that fulfillment of life?"

Aang stumbled for an answer before giving up. "I guess I don't really know. I would say love, but that doesn't seem right. Even people in love still have dreams and desires."

Iroh smiled. "Exactly. Nothing you've seen so far seems like complete and total happiness. That lies in something else."

Aang turned a questioning look upon Iroh, who shook his head. "I'm not going to answer that for you, Aang. But I know someone who can." He stood up; Aang followed. "I believe it's time that we left on a journey.

Aang nodded. "Alright, sure. But where?"

"First, we need to meet some old friends of mine." He turned back towards the ship's tower. "Prepare your sky bison and your friends, Avatar; we will arrive at the rendezvous point soon."

* * *

Neither Zuko nor Katara slept well the night before; Katara's bindings had made it quite difficult to sleep in any comfortable position, while Zuko's conflicted heart had made it equally challenging to fall asleep. As a result, they woke up intermittently throughout the night and finally rose in the early morning, giving up on any good amount of sleep. Katara was sore all over. Zuko, however…

Zuko had dark rings under his eyes and the melancholy expression that Katara expected from Mai, not from him. Instead of his usual dark and brooding look, he looked tired. Tired and angry.

"Get up. I'm not waiting for you." He spoke curtly as he passed by her, roughly pulling the blanket roll out from under her. Being bound, she couldn't exactly stop him.

"What's _your_ problem?" She glared at him. He turned and looked at her with clenched fists, breathing heavily.

"Just shut up! We're leaving!" He yelled at her and stomped away, roughly stuffing things back into the packs.

She growled in a low voice, struggling to sit up. If he was frustrated yesterday, then he must be furious today. _About what?_ She thought with irritation. _It's not like _he_ was the one who had to sleep with arms and legs tied!_

Having finished packing (which included re-binding Katara to the supplies at the rear of the saddle), Zuko planted his heels in the sides of the ostrich horse, urging it to plod forward.

For several hours, they remained in an uneasy silence, lost in thought. Zuko's mind inevitably began to dwell in memories of his Uncle and this journey, as his interior conflict renewed its flame; Katara, on the other hand, was concerned with a much more practical matter: what was going to happen to her

She thought back to the caverns under Ba Sing Se, when Zuko held a blade of fire to her throat and Azula told Aang that Katara would die unless he surrendered himself to them. Katara had whispered "No, Aang…" because she knew that he would surrender himself to save her.

Except he didn't.

Instead, he entered the Avatar state, implicitly risking her life to save Ba Sing Se and preserve balance in the world. She knew, at that moment, that Aang had detached himself from his own personal desires. What mattered to him was what he should do, not necessarily what he desired to do. She felt pride (and sadness) well in her; Aang had his priorities straight. And, thankfully, he was able to gain both prizes: he saved her life and continued his world-saving mission.

Unfortunately, she was now Zuko's captive. And if Zuko threatened to kill her if Aang didn't surrender…well, Aang wouldn't surrender. He wouldn't doom millions to help preserve her life. He would fight to free her.

And Katara…

She looked at Zuko. Would he make good on his threat next time? When Aang retaliates…

Would Zuko kill her?

"Would you do it?"

The worlds flew out of Katara's mouth in a sudden impulse; had her hands not been bound behind her back, she would have instinctively covered her mouth in shock. _Why did I ask that?! Katara, you idiot!_

Zuko cocked his head, but continued looking at the road ahead. "Do what?"

"Umm…" She chewed on her upper lip. This was a _very_ strange question to ask. "If…well…" She hemmed and hawed until Zuko turned in the saddle to look at her, raising an eyebrow. She coughed, clearing her throat before fully asking the question on her mind.

"Would you kill me if Aang refused to surrender?"

Zuko paused, turning his eyes away from her, before facing the road ahead of them again. Several minutes passed in silence. Katara fidgeted. _I guess that's as clear an answer as any_, she thought, her shoulders drooping. A melancholy feeling began to wrap her heart.

"No."

Katara blinked surprised. His voice seemed raspier than usual. A smile temporarily graced her countenance. _Guess I'm not marching to my death after all!_ Her smile widened. _And he certainly won't be able to keep me locked up for long–not with Aang approaching mastery of the elements!_ Her eventual freedom suddenly seemed less like a dream and more like a guarantee.

Feeling more confident and happy, Karara ventured another question. "What do you plan to do with me, then?" She left unasked the parent question: what will you do if Aang doesn't surrender, if you won't kill me?

Zuko, for the first time since Katara met him, had a note of hopelessness in his voice. "I…" He breathed in sharply, his voice cracking for a moment. "I don't know."

Katara got the sense that he was talking about more than simply Aang. Which surprised her. Not only was Zuko talking to Katara…he was actually beginning to open up about personal things! Serious things! Zuko seemed to sense her reaction, as he turned around in the saddle again, facing her. He spoke with a deep, raspy voice that hinted of anger…and suffering.

"The only reason I'm telling you any of this is because I don't want you to feel like I'm ruining your destiny." He faced the front again. "You'll end up fine."

Anger flared, deep in Katara's heart. "But you're fine with ruining Aang's destiny?" She asked incredulously. His shoulders tensed, a clear warning sign to her. She ignored it. He was being hypocritical, and he was going to hear about it! "How can you say that you care about saving people from forced destinies when you, your father and your sister all want to ruin the destinies of millions? Of entire nations?!"

Zuko glared at her, baring his teeth. Angry Zuko was back. "Enough!" He growled, smoke curling from his palms. "If you don't be silent, I'll gag you."

"Just try it, you–" Katara went off. Her speech was rather unladylike; and, in return, the force with which Zuko gagged her was rather ungentlemanly. The makeshift gag (a small towelette he stole) stretched uncomfortably across Katara's mouth, who sighed and leaned back. Now she could neither move nor speak.

The rest of the day was, understandably, rather boring for Katara.

* * *

Iroh watched from the bridge of the captured cruiser as the enemy Fire Nation battleship approached them, slowing down to extend their bridge. He had briefed the crew on the procedure to use when greeting and docking with another Fire Nation ship. He was confident their cover would remain intact.

Iroh, having been a traitor, could not use his rank explicitly; but he did know all the codes and how to draft orders from a General. After all, he was one. So he had drafted a document with an 'official' order from a friend of his, General Hao, complete with the necessary codes and forged signature. The orders demanded that any Fire Nation ships who had access to the Ba Sing Se regional occupation deployments had to surrender a copy to them, being couriers of the esteemed General.

He smirked as he watched the other ship slow to a stop, extending the bridge to his ship. Not only would they escape with their cover intact, they would gain intel on enemy positions in the city.

The betrayal of a general can do a lot of damage.

Chief Hakota, flanked by two Water tribe officers, stood at attention in Fire Nation uniforms, the Chief handling the role as leader. Iroh taught him the ranks; luckily, Hakota's rank was equal to that of the opposite captain, preventing any awkward ship inspections or interrogations.

The Chief played his part well. Presenting the letter, the other officer welcomed them into the enemy ship. After a tense half hour, the three spies left the enemy cruiser, holding an assortment of scrolls, beaming as the other ship pulled away.

Chief Hakota burst onto the bridge, laying the scrolls across the strategy tables around the room. "Good plan, General." He chuckled, nodding to Iroh. "We just gained an incredible advantage."

Iroh walked by the various scrolls, glancing at their contents. "I do not think your men will have any trouble retaking the crucial part of the city."

"What part would that be?"

"The plumbing!"

The other soldiers looked at him with blank stares. Iroh chortled.

"Come, look at this map." He waved the Chief and his lieutenants over to an infrastructure map. Water and sewage lines were marked clearly on the map beside the roads and transit system. "Plumbing for water and waste spans the entire city. Imagine, for a moment, if you knew where all the enemy tanks and soldiers were; imagine if you knew what water and sewage lines they would be riding over at any instant."

"I don't see how their bathroom breaks matter. We can't ambush them all!" One of the lieutenants threw up his hands.

Iroh paused. "Now imagine if you had a master waterbender."

Suddenly, the room grew silent as the men thought. After a minute, Hakota doubled over laughing. The other men began to chuckle.

"You could...sewage..." Hakota tried to force out a sentence over his laughter but failed. He made large explosion motions with his hands when they weren't holding his chest to hold back his chortling.

"You could disable every tank they have…by filling them with water. Or sewage." Iroh spoke, marking positions on the map. "You could contaminate their fuel, ensuring that all their airships and tanks will be permanently grounded."

The other men began to pitch ideas.

"You could ruin their food supplies and storage facilities; that would force them to abandon their fortifications and start raiding other food distribution centers. But if we capture those first..."

"You could disrupt their intelligence; if we just get a single wave of water over their strategy room..."

"Imagine sewage in the messenger hawk avery; the poor birds would fly away, disrupting communication lines."

As the ideas continued, Chief Hakota calmed himself down, wiping the tears of laughter from his eyes. He turned to Iroh. "I only foresee one problem with this plan."

Iroh nodded. "Where can we get a master waterbender?"

Hakota shrugged, beginning to frown. "I don't know where Katara might be, unfortunately."

Iroh's eyes twinkled. "I wasn't thinking of Katara, actually." He began to walk out to the central staircase, heading down to the deck. The other men followed him, curiosity apparent on their faces. "I invited an old friend of mine to join us."

As they walked out onto the deck, greeting Aang, Sokka and Toph, who had re-emerged from hiding once the enemy ship sailed out of sight, a sudden wave rose over the right side of the ship, immediately frosting into a thin sheet of ice. Sliding over the top, a man in impressive white/blue robes, adorned with the pattern of a lotus (a white lotus, to be precise), stopped before Iroh, bowing.

"Grand Master Iroh." The man smirked as about twelve others soared over the ice onto the deck, some twisting and falling back into the sea. Iroh chuckled and bowed in return.

"Master Pakku, welcome. I see you brought your students!" He beamed as the men shuffled into a loose formation. Pakku grunted; the young men hastily bowed, one slipping and accidently prostrating himself. Iroh nodded, looking serious, though Pakku and Hakota noticed the way he held back his laughter.

Chief Hakota and his men bowed formally to Master Pakku. "It is an honor, sir. I heard you trained my daughter, Katara."

The old master's face lit up with a smile. "Yes. She is an extraordinary bender. First woman I've trained!" He glanced at Aang, who was waiting patiently beside them, and smiled. "Avatar Aang! What a pleasure to see you again."

"Sifu Pakku." Aang formally bowed; Pakku nodded with a smile. Sokka bowed, while Toph gave him a slight head-nod. Pakku's eyebrows furrowed when he noticed someone's absence…

"Where is Katara? Not feeling well today?"

An uneasy silence fell over the group. Aang took a deep breath, steeling himself to reply.

"She was captured by the Fire Nation."

Pakku's eyes widened. "When? Where?"

Sokka interjected. "Prince Zuko captured her…we don't know where he took her." He sighed. "Honestly, they could be anywhere by now."

"I am afraid that we cannot spend time searching for the young lady." Iroh spoke, his voice commanding attention. "We have a war to fight."

The group had begun to grow melancholy with the thought of Katara; Iroh hoped to shake them out of it by refocusing on the goal: saving Ba Sing Se.

"The other Masters will meet us at the campsite." Pakku spoke to Iroh, who nodded.

"Very well. Gentlemen," he spoke loudly, drawing everyone's gaze, "and lady," he smiled at Toph, who grinned back, "I have called the Masters of the Order of the White Lotus together. It is time to strike back and free the city of Ba Sing Se."

He pointed over the sea, towards a region of swampy forest. "The rendezvous is located not far from the Outer Wall. You all will head there and prepare for the invasion." His eyes narrowed. "There is only one day when you will be able to retake the city: the solar eclipse, when the firebenders will lose their power, even though it is only for a short time."

Questions and concerns began to be murmured. How will they breach the Wall? How can they possibly defeat the entire Fire Nation garrison? The soldiers who were with Iroh in the bridge smirked and held back laughs, knowing Iroh's ridiculous (but brilliant) plan; but Iroh extended a hand and raised his voice.

"Now is not the time to discuss strategy. On the contrary, you all must continue the voyage to the rendezvous. Aang and I, however, will not."

Aang nodded, speaking up. "My destiny lies elsewhere. Sokka," he said, turning to him, "you are a great strategist. Work with your father; I'm sure you'll be able to help perfect the invasion plan. And Toph," he turned to the blind girl, who was frowning, "we will need your earthbending prowess to help us get through the Walls. You are both essential to this invasion."

Toph gave him a punch, smirking as he swayed. "Nice try, Twinkle Toes. I know you're just trying to get away from earthbending training."

Aang laughed, but didn't refute what she said, which only made them both laugh more.

Sokka gave Aang a long hug, his face looking more serious. "Don't stop looking for my sister, Aang."

"I won't." Aang pulled back with a gentle smile. "Don't be afraid, Sokka. Destiny is on our side."

Sokka nodded, pretending to take comfort in that. Honestly, he didn't know what that meant.

But it sounded nice.

Iroh glanced at the helmsman. "It's time to make an adjustment of our course!" He looked across the sea to the large, mountainous walls rising in the distance. "To Ba Sing Se!"

"To Ba Sing Se!" The rest of the crew cried, raising their fists.


	7. The Mountain

**A/N: If there were ever a time when I longed for you to honestly review a chapter of mine, this is it. This is a major climax for Zuko and Katara, which i've reviewed many times; hopefully, it fulfills and surpasses everyone's expectations!**

* * *

The sun dipped below the curtain of hills, spilling twilight over the forest. Zuko looked up thoughtfully around him. Night was coming soon.

He saw a light overcast curtain of clouds heading towards them, with dark thunderclouds lurking many miles away. His brow furrowed. It would be a good idea to find shelter near the base of a mountain, he thought; if the storm clouds come their way, the best shelter would both protect them from the rain–meaning high ground with some kind of overhang–while also avoiding high places that attract lightning.

So a cave of sorts near a mountain's base would be perfect. To his satisfaction, he spotted several small mountains/large hills rising only a little off of their current path. They appeared to be good choices, especially considering how little time in the day remained.

Speaking of the day… He turned around, glancing at Katara. She looked tired; her shoulders slumped in exhaustion. Not physical exhaustion–she had remained bound and gagged since their discussion that morning–but exhaustion from her inability to do anything; she just had to wait, and hope that Zuko didn't do anything terrible.

Zuko grimaced and turned away. He had repressed his guilty feelings about his treatment of her ever since he captured her…but she was beginning to look more and more pathetic. She either looked downcast and depressed…or angry and wrathful.

His eyes spotted an opening in the trees that appeared to lead close to the base of one of the mountains. He turned the ostrich horse, leading it off the trail and heading down the path. He swiveled in the saddle, reaching towards Katara. She had become alert when she noticed the ostrich horse heading off the trail; so when she saw him reach for her, she instinctively tried to pull backwards. It didn't work, of course–bindings and all–but Zuko noticed and frowned, seeing that glint of primal fear flash in her eyes. _That will never change…_ Zuko internally sighed. He would always be seen as a monster.

Supposedly, that's a good thing, according to some in his family. They argue that people know controlling the monster isn't possible. It will do as it wishes; those who stand in the way perish. A perfect image for the Fire Lord. As his father used to say, "People don't tame a monster; they obey it or kill it."

_But they never love it_. Zuko thought. Focusing his attention back on Katara, he reached behind her head and loosened the gag, removing it. Katara took a deep breath, savoring the fresh scent of the mountain plants and air, before giving Zuko a wordless glare. He didn't say anything and turned back to face the front, guiding the animal closer to the mountain.

"Where are we going?" Katara chose to ignore the anger that quickly rekindled once she had her voice returned; she didn't want him to get angry and cut off her only way to communicate again.

"To find shelter. There's a storm coming." His raspy voice gave the words an ominous feel.

Katara leaned back (as much as the bindings allowed her) and closed her eyes, taking deep breaths. Don't get angry; don't start a fight…

They made it another minute in silence before Katara finally couldn't take it. She had been deprived of talking (or any action) all day; she was going to talk, whether he liked it or not.

"Where are we?"

"On a southwestern road that should take us to a coastal farming village; from there, the journey to the naval yards won't be long." Earlier in the day, he had stopped outside of a town and, making sure Katara and the horse weren't going anywhere, went inside to get a map and supplies. Luckily for them, they were on track to reach the Fire Nation naval yards without even knowing it, albeit down a longer scenic route.

Silence reigned as they continued down the path. _Honestly_, Katara reflected, _there isn't much to talk about with Zuko. He's my enemy, my captor…not at all talkative…evil…_ She sighed. _It'll be much better once all of this is over._

As the path neared the mountainside, Zuko spotted a nice niche in the rocks; fairly high, safe from the rainfall and any lightning and comfortable enough to fit them all. He frowned, nodding. This will do.

"What's wrong?" Katara asked, watching his face. She figured that something had disappointed him because of that frown. In response, he turned to her and frowned deeper.

"Nothing's wrong! We found a place to sleep; how's that wrong?"

Katara frowned in turn, her voice turning stiff. "You were frowning! Who frowns when they're happy? Only angry and sad people frown!"

"I always frown!" Zuko snarled. "It's not like you've been smiling much either!"

"That's because I'VE BEEN CAPTURED!" She raised her voice, belittling Zuko. "Hard to smile when your captor intends to imprison your closest friends!"

"But _you_ will be fine! You don't need to worry about anything!" He waved his hands in exasperation, sliding off of the ostrich horse and beginning to unpack some of the supplies. "I'm not going to hurt you!"

"But I don't just want to be 'fine,' Zuko! I want to be free–alive and happy." Her voice made a slow transition from angry to depressed. "Like I was with my friends."

Zuko's gut wrenched in him, at hearing her words. Something nagged at his heart, but he pushed it away. No time for that.

There was silence for a few minutes, as Zuko slowly unpacked the ostrich horse and built a small fire pit. He thrust his fist forward, casting a small fireball into the meager amount of wood; the fire crackled and soon grew to a steady flame.

Finally, he walked over to Katara, moving behind her to loosen her bindings. She turned away from him, looking at the wall.

"…you know, you shouldn't worry about the Avatar." Zuko spoke in a low voice. Katara blinked. "I won't capture him. I know this plan isn't going to work."

"Then why am I still your captive?" Katara asked with genuine curiosity, holding back on the anger. It wouldn't do to antagonize him if it caused him to stop talking. Zuko was acting rather strangely, so perhaps she can get some information out of him. She felt her bindings shift as he untangled them from the baggage and the saddle.

"I don't know!" Zuko audibly ground his teeth as he finished untying her. She slid off of the ostrich horse. "I just…it's my best option. So stop questioning me!" He snapped.

She raised an eyebrow. "Why are you so angry all the time, Zuko?" She snapped back. "Every attempt at conversation ends up with you getting angry over nothing, or being moody and sad! Maybe the problem isn't me or Aang. Maybe it's you!" She pointed accusingly.

The fire had slowly grown through her tirade, reflecting Zuko's frustration. But Katara wasn't done. "All this time, you've chased us down, trying to ruin our lives when all we've done is try to save lives! Aang's trying to help the world! You just want to use it for yourself! Why are you so selfish?"

"I don't know!" Zuko threw up his hands as the fire flared, scorching the top of the cave. It struck him, in the middle of her rant, that Katara, when he spied on them or followed them, was usually a very cheerful and happy girl. And Zuko, for that short time with his uncle, had been happy. Joyful. Peaceful.

Now he was angry, sad and confused; and he had dragged Katara into that same wrath and depression.

_Why can't I do anything right?_

"Fine!" Zuko yelled. He bent the flames from the fire pit over Katara, who screamed; but the fire didn't touch her. Instead, it flowed onto the ropes that bound her, burning them. "You're right; I don't need you. So go! The Avatar needs you! _Get out of here_!"

Katara was stunned. Her wrists felt light, unburdened; the forced tension on her legs had entirely disappeared. She shifted her weight, rolling her wrists and moving her legs. She was free. She glanced up.

It seemed Zuko had decided to listen to his own order, as he had sprinted out from the cave after he freed her. Leaving all of his belongings behind. Katara could literally pack all of their things and ride away on the ostrich horse, leaving him to flounder about. She smirked at the thought. _Serves him right; such a selfish brat. It'd be better for him to get stuck out in the woods. Might teach him what it's like for the peasants that he attacked…for the lives he ruined…_

However, she found herself glancing curiously at the entrance of the cave as her forehead crinkled in thought. Why did he do that? She walked to the entrance of the cave, glancing around her. It seemed as though Zuko had immediately scrambled up the face of the mountain; in fact, she could see him, not very far away, climbing towards the small mountain's summit.

A brilliant flash of lightning, accompanied by a deep roll of thunder, cracked the sky, shaking her from her reverie. _What is he doing? Climbing to a mountain summit–in the middle of a lightning storm?!_

Her heart began to beat faster. This was all so much–so much in just a few minutes' time! Suddenly, she's freed; an emotional Zuko runs off and starts climbing a mountain; _she's freed_; Zuko's endangering his life in the middle of a lightning storm; _she's freed and can run away _right now_ as-long-as-she-doesn't-think-about-saving-Zuko–_

Too late.

Katara felt the familiar nagging of her conscience rise in her heart. Zuko may be a royal pain, but he's a person. And his life is in danger. And, if it's any consolation, he freed her and admitted that his plan sucks; so he probably isn't going to try and capture her again. Surely not.

She sighed. He was probably the last person she would want to try and save.

But it'd be hypocritical to call him heartless and then ignore your own conscience.

"Alright," she grumbled, "alright…I'm going…"

She grabbed a small pack of supplies and started to climb up the mountain after him.

* * *

Zuko reached the summit of the mountain, just as the rain began to pour. Lightning flashed on a nearby mountaintop; Zuko smirked at it. It was not a kind smirk; it was one of hopelessness, believing that the only escape left to them is death. It will not satisfy them; but it will end it all. It is the smile that the criminal gives to the executioner; it is the grin that the sick man gives to the doctor; it is the smirk that Zuko gave to the lightning, which cracked with a mighty thunder.

Zuko loved mountains for a rather simple reason: it was one of the only places where he could yell at nature…and nature would yell back. Here, on this mountain, he could open his heart. He could cry out, in the loudest voice he could, of everything within himself: all his pain, all his anger, all his confusion, all his love and apathy and broken-heartedness and longing–oh, his _longing_ to find what really matters in his life. To find peace. To finally be–

He didn't finish that thought. Instead, he opened his mouth and roared. He punched the air, throwing all of the passions and emotions of his heart into his firebending; columns of flame burst out in a burning, dark red. The color of passion and raw emotion. He yelled at the sky.

"You've thrown everything at me! I've never had anything easy–never anything given to me that wasn't taken away!" He roared again, spewing flames into the rain. They gave him a momentary respite from the drenching rain. Though he hardly cared about getting wet. "Why do you hold back now? Why do you choose what I get to keep and what I don't?"

Lightning flashed again. The roll of thunder was long, sharp and immediate; it boomed in his ears like a massive, gigantic Answer. So loud, perhaps, that he couldn't understand it.

But Zuko's heart supplied an answer. Whether it was the answer hidden in the thunder was not clear to him; but he certainly heard _something_. "You had everything, Zuko. You had happiness in the palm of your hand; and you threw it away. You burned it."

Uncle Iroh rose to his mind again, reminding him of what he lost. Of what he betrayed. Zuko collapsed to his knees on the ground, bowing his head. _I had everything I wanted…but I failed._

"What is it I want?" He asked, almost gently, his voice becoming quiet. Vulnerable. He glanced up at the roiling thunderclouds, which still flashed with glimpses of lightning. "I've been searching all my life for honor and my father's love. Is that what I want?" He scoffed at himself. "Love?"

The clouds gave no answer.

_What is your destiny?_

The words of his Uncle rose, unbidden, to his mind; and he became aware of a burning pain within him–a hole in his heart. Memories and emotions began to stir.

He remembered how he felt when his father banished him and burned a permanent mark of hatred _on his face_; his own father and sister despised him, while his mother was banished. Possibly dead. The hole in his heart tore a little wider.

He remembered how he had followed his sister onto the Fire Nation cruiser, believing that he was being welcomed back home…only to feel the piercing pain of betrayal and banishment all over again. Only to know that his own sister was willing to strike him with (likely deadly) lightning, only saved by the Uncle he betrayed. His heart twisted, the hole enlarging.

He remembered the small Earth Kingdom village that he helped protect when he was journeying alone; they liked him…until they discovered who he was. Then they hated him. His heart ached deeper, and the hole grew larger.

He remembered the face of his Uncle–the only man Zuko felt truly loved him, selflessly and totally–as he cried out in pain. Pain that Zuko had caused.

With this memory, Zuko's heart was torn in two; and he broke.

The wave of emotions flooded his heart, letting loose the grief and pain that had festered within him for _years_–years of feeling as though he was alone in the world, with no sure anchor, no base, no meaning to his life and, ultimately, no one with whom he could trust his heart. If his own father thought he was useless, how could he believe any different? The only ones who would disagree…were gone. Gone by his own hand.

Zuko curled into a ball as he began to sob. His shoulders shook violently as he cried into his legs, which he had pulled close to his face, regardless of the rain. It accented the mood fairly well: a downpour of sorrow, soaking him to the bone.

A passerby would be uncomfortable, struck with how vulnerable he was; he had opened his heart on this lonely mountain and the pain from his deepest wounds poured out.

As it were, such a passerby existed and did, indeed, feel rather uncomfortable: Katara was kneeling near the edge, hiding behind a rock, watching the scene unfold as she bent the rainwater away from her. She had arrived at the end of his monologue and saw him begin to break down, his pain spilling out. In turn, her heart begun to be assaulted. She was seeing an intimate glimpse of the depths of his heart; and oh, how he suffered! For the first time in her life, the thought of Zuko didn't bring anger; strangely, it brought a movement of empathy for his pain.

But she tightened her heart, as she brought up memories of her mother. Almost as if to combat the suffering she saw in front of her. As if she was trying to deny it. _I have suffered much more! I lost my mother to the likes of him; how can I pity him? In fact, he probably deserves this…_

At that thought, her heart twisted. She knew that thought was wrong. What she saw before her eyes was a pain and suffering born of much more than losing someone close. It was the pain of losing love–of losing everything.

She began to turn away and harden her heart again. _I should leave; this is a private moment. I should go back…_

But her heart was familiar with compassion and charity, even though it could be lost in wrath, at times; so as she turned away, a thought occurred to her: if you turn away now, you will be doing _the same thing_ that Zuko did to you. He, too, stood behind them, watching their battle with Azula; he, too, could have chosen to go and help them. Instead, he took the selfish route and caused much greater pain.

Katara, too, had a choice. She could choose to turn away and think of Zuko no more, perpetuating the sins of Zuko and his father and his father before him…

Or she could break the pattern. She could choose to let compassion guide her instead of anger and self-interest. She could comfort him.

She sighed internally. _I suppose you're right…_ she thought, replying to her conscience. As she opened her heart and thought about Zuko's suffering, her heart began to break; seeing his pain and suffering, she felt a longing to hold him in her arms and comfort him. To heal him. To bring this broken man back to life.

So she stepped onto the top of the mountain.

Zuko heard her and instantly tensed, glancing from his tear-and-rain covered face towards her. The rain had mysteriously stopped (actually, Katara was bending it away from them, but he was not in a state of mind to notice that), giving him clear vision; he growled when he recognized her.

"Go away." His voice broke, betraying his vulnerability. "I want to be alone!"

"Zuko…" Her voice surprised him. It wasn't mocking, wrathful _or_ threatening. It was compassionate. Empathetic.

"Go!" He yelled, casting a bolt of fire at her. She quickly side-stepped it, her brow furrowing.

"Don't be angry; I just want to help!" Katara wrung her hands, anxiety beginning to replace the compassion within her. He can't close himself to her; not now, when she might be able to help heal him…

Zuko growled. He recognized the look in Katara's eyes; he's seen it before. The look of pity for his suffering. It made his blood boil, being seen as something _broken_. "You can't help! Just go away!"

Katara exhaled sharply, frowning and raising her voice. Not the best thing to do for someone in an emotional crisis. "Why do you always do this? You get angry at nothing–even when someone's trying to help you! What are you so angry about?"

"Nothing!" Zuko growled, his tears drying and his heart beginning to close. His private time was over, it seemed. He began to stand. "Now leave!"

Katara planted her feet, growling in return. "No."

"What?!" Zuko looked at her incredulously. "I let you free! Why won't you go?"

"Because I'm tired of you evading this question!" She pointed at him accusingly. "You are always angry, but you never say why. You just ignore me." She jabbed her finger at him again. "Tell me, Zuko! Why are you angry? Who are you angry at?"

"I don't know!" He threw up his hands.

"Of course you do! Think, and stop evading the question!"

"It's not yours to ask!" He growled.

She persisted. "Who are you angry at? Why are you so evasive, hmm?"

The atmosphere grew more intense; Katara continued to pester him, as Zuko grew more and more agitated until, finally, he snapped.

"I'M ANGRY AT MYSELF!" Zuko roared, turning away from her and smacking the ground with his fists; flames burst from his hands, echoing the passions within him while scalding the mountaintop. Katara was silenced, listening with wide eyes, as he breathed heavily, kneeling on the ground.

"My whole life has been a failure! My father banished me because I was weak; my mother left or was killed because of my failures; my sister beats me in everything; and the only man who thought that I mattered was the man I betrayed!" His voice ached; Katara could almost sense the well of shame and pain inside of him, just by the inflection of his voice: it was raw, emotional, but painful and angry. His shoulders slumped and he spoke, sounding terribly weary. "There's nothing left."

"That's not true." Katara took a step towards him. He didn't even bother turning around.

"Go away. There's nothing for you here."

Those words pierced her heart. _He thinks I want something from him_, she realized, her frown deepening. _He can't imagine that i'd be here unless it was for selfish reasons._

This was a problem. If he couldn't trust that she was here because…because…

Katara realized that even_ she_ didn't know why she was here. _I don't know Zuko; it's not like I care about him_ (she internally scoffed at the idea)_…so what drew me here?_

"Why are you still here?" He asked quietly. He hadn't heard her move; she seemed to just be standing there, perhaps thinking over her next move.

Katara bit her lip lightly, lost in thought. _I just felt…I saw that he needed to be loved. So I came._ She straightened up. _That's right! Even if I don't care for him, he still matters. He still needs to be loved. So…I guess I'm here to show him that._

It felt rather weird to think about this situation like that. Katara felt like this was the natural thing to do; when someone feels like they're alone, they should be comforted! She pushed the thoughts out of her mind and took another step towards Zuko.

He repeated his question. "Why are you still here?" This time, his voice grew stronger. "I don't have anything to give you!"

"I don't want anything from you. I just want to help."

"Liar!" He whipped around, coiling fire around his hands. He bared his teeth. "I was foolish; I talked too much and made myself vulnerable. And now you're trying to take advantage of me!" He began to punch bolts of scarlet flame at her; she rolled, dodging. She had been bending the rain away from them while they spoke; but now, being in combat, she let it fall. After blocking a few fireballs, she swiftly raised her hands and the puddle under Zuko rushed upwards, coating his body in ice.

He growled. "Trying to take your revenge?"

Katara shook her head as she walked towards his frozen form. "I want to help you, Zuko."

"Don't mistake me for a fool! Why would you help me? You don't know me. You clearly hated me for the past few days; how could that possibly change now, when you have me imprisoned in ice?"

She continued to approach him, drawing up only a foot away from him. To his surprise, she turned around and put her arms behind her back, bowing her head.

"I'm going to let you out of the ice; and then I won't move, even if you try to attack me again." She spared a glance behind her. "I'm offering you something, Zuko; something you won't find if you attack me. I'm offering you someone you can trust will comfort you and love you." She faced away from him again. "I hope this little act of trust from me will convince you of that."

In a fluid motion, the ice melted into water and flowed away, Zuko staggered back, freed from his personal iceburg. And now before him stood Katara, her back facing him. He immediately punched a bolt of fire to her right, intentionally missing her; the bolt flew by her, causing her to flinch.

But she didn't move.

He punched another fireball at her feet; she yelped as the flames lapped for an instant at her calves. The burn would go away quickly; it was minor.

But she didn't move.

"Why won't you fight back?!" Zuko yelled, punching fireball after fireball past her, attempting to scare her. Intimidate her. Make her show her true colors–her selfish goal, whatever it is. Her plan to use him.

But she didn't move.

His voice cracked, betraying the tears that were forming in his eyes. "I know you're lying! Stop lying! Stop!"

"I won't betray you, Zuko." She whispered.

"It would be so much easier if you would just fight back…" He whispered back, as he fell to his knees, holding his aching head.

Katara knew the unspoken sentiment. If she fought back, he wouldn't have to trust her; and if he didn't have to trust her, he wouldn't be betrayed. He didn't want to open his heart to the possibility of being loved by someone…only to find that it was a lie. Again.

"Oh, Zuko…" She couldn't wait any longer. She turned around and, before he could react, knelt down and embraced him, wrapping her arms around him.

Zuko immediately stiffened. His eyes grew wide. _She's…she's embracing me. She willingly embraced me._

"Why…?" He whispered, out of breath.

"Because you matter, Zuko, and someone needed to tell you that." He felt her shrug. "I suppose…that someone is me."

He felt the barriers around his heart breaking down. It felt _so good_ to have someone hugging him. And to know that she wanted that…that she wanted him to open himself to her…

He broke down. He flung his arms around her and, as she pulled him close, began to silently cry.

For the next half hour, nothing happened. They didn't move; they didn't speak; they didn't do anything, but simply rest in each other's embrace. Zuko felt peace again; and, in the depths of his heart, he realized what it was he was trying to listen to on this mountaintop. He realized why a virtual stranger, Katara, had decided to love him so tenderly. She was a messenger, giving him a message from a voice that he couldn't listen to in his anguish. Only now, in the pure silence, in Katara's loving embrace, could he hear the voice.

The still, small voice in his heart whispered, "You are loved."


	8. Mai, Murder and Mobility

**A/N: Beloved readers: thank you for sticking with me this far! I am thankful.**

**You all ought to know that I decided to write this thing for several reasons: first, to create a beautiful story, which I hope has succeeded thus far; second, to increase and perfect my writing abilities; your reviews have helped me greatly in this regard, so as I continue to write, please continue to aid me with reviews and PMs with your thoughts. It helps me grow as a writer.**

**But the third reason I chose to write is because I wanted to expose my readers to important questions: who are you? What is love? What matters in life? Are you loved and important? I hope this story helps you not only ask the questions, but find their right answers.**

**Enjoy this chapter! (Also, I added a murder mystery. See if you can solve it over the next few chapters! :D)**

* * *

Azula sneered at the generals seated in front of her. Specifically at General Yuan, who was in charge of fortifying the Inner Wall against the earthbenders. "Imbecile! If the merchant disagrees, why don't you just kill him?"

"But Princess–"

"We need that building, General. If you fail me again, I'll challenge you to an Agni Kai." She laughed with a shrill voice. "And I think we both know how that will end. Or do you want to be reminded of what happened to the general who used to occupy your post?"

General Yuan gulped. His predecessor had ignored the Princess and accepted her challenge to an Agni Kai. The resulting duel ended in twenty seconds; Azula had immediately whipped up a small wall of fire and, rolling to the side, adopted her fearsome horse stance. The wall of fire blocked her position from the sight of the enemy general, who punched a volley of fireballs at her previous location. Once the wall of fire dissipated, she had lightning cracking at her fingertips. His attempt to disrupt her stance came too late. With a crack of thunder, the General fell, pierced by her lightning. She immediately promoted his second-in-command, Colonel Yuan, to the General's rank and post.

"I won't fail you, Princess." He bowed.

"Next?" She lazily waved him off as another General stood.

"Princess, we have had no sign of your brother, Prince Zuko. Do you still want to alert the Fire Lord of his loyalty?"

She pursed her lips. "I suppose. He _did_ save my life, after all. However," she frowned, "when you find him, bring him directly to me. We will take no chances."

"Yes, Princess." He bowed and sat down, beginning to sweat. She had said _when_ you find him. Not _if_.

He was glad she left her threat unvoiced.

Azula waved her hand, dismissing them all. "Bring more favorable reports tomorrow."

They stood, bowing, before exiting the room. Azula sighed, burying her head in her hands. It had been a long day dealing with incompetent fools, and Azula was rather frustrated. It had been a while since she was able to do, well, anything; the conquering of Ba Sing Se had led to an overabundance of work. She worked the knots out of her neck and stepped down from her miniature throne, heading towards her private quarters. She nodded to the two guards stationed outside her suite; opening the doors for her, she nodded and proceeded inside. Winding through her living room and kitchen, she arrived at the door for her bedroom.

At that moment, her world got a lot more complicated.

As she opened the doors, she froze. On her floor laid a figure, facedown, blood pooling beneath her chest. The clothes…

They were Mai's clothes.

She rushed forward and knelt, lightly touching the body's exposed neck to see if it still had a pulse. At this moment, several things happened simultaneously.

First of all, Azula noted that the body wasn't breathing. She felt around the abdomen and felt an incision in the abdomen; it appeared to be fatal.

Second, she heard a shout and footsteps racing through her apartment towards her room.

Third, she saw a knife lying only a foot away with a blood-covered blade.

As several soldiers burst into the room, she realized this scene looked _very_ incriminating. A frown covered her face as one of the men, an officer in the Fire Nation's department of Internal Affairs, stepped forward and intoned Azula's rights and the unfortunate fact that she appeared to be the culprit.

* * *

It had been a busy week for Sokka.

After the surprise appearance of Master Pakku and disappearance of Aang and Iroh, he had been dropped off on land, given a fake identity and uniform, and told to report to the Fire Nation Internal Affairs division of Ba Sing Se; his mission was intelligence gathering, specifically concerning the ever dangerous and elusive members of the Princess Azula trio. He glanced at his identification papers once more: Major Wohn, Inspector, Homicide Detail, under orders from General Yin from the Fire Nation. Of course, the orders were forged by General Iroh; Yin didn't exist. But all the codes lined up.

So Sokka became Inspector Wohn, given authority to go wherever he needs to and investigate anything he so desires.

He had immediately poured over Fire Nation intelligence, occasionally meeting a contact with the White Lotus to hand-deliver his reports back to the White Lotus headquarters. Their attack would happen on the Day of Black Sun, which was still a ways away; for now, it was time to perfect their intelligence on the enemy.

Sokka's day, however, just became as complicated as Azula's. Mainly because _he_ was the officer that stood in front of Azula, informing her that she appeared to be a murderer.

_Thank goodness she doesn't recognize me…_ He thought, a cold sweat threatening to ruin his impeccable complexion. The guards had called for a stretcher, and were preparing to move the body to the nearest doctor. In the meantime, he stood with several guards in front of Azula, whose hands were bound. He saw her eyes narrow as he mentioned the evidence against her: how there was a tip given to the guards about them fighting; Azula's bloodstained hands; the knife; the case seemed to solve itself.

But Sokka narrowed his eyes. "However, one thing doesn't add up, Princess."

"You mean the fact that I wouldn't kill my friend?" She snarled at him.

"No, it wouldn't surprise me if you did." He waved that thought away. The other guards nodded grimly. Azula was not thought very highly of as a friend. "What doesn't make sense is the blood on your clothes."

Azula frowned. "What?"

"Perhaps I should say the _amount of blood_." He knelt down beside the blood, close to where Azula had been found holding the body. "If she was stabbed in the fifteen seconds since you passed through that door and the guards found you, how would there be blood all over your clothes _and_ all over the floor? The knife clearly didn't hit an artery, so the blood flow would be steady, not so incredibly sudden as to drench you and the floor. The blood on you can be explained by you holding her; but the blood on the floor…"

"She would have needed to be there for a while." Azula spoke slowly.

Sokka nodded. "I don't think you are the murderer, Princess. But I do think someone wanted it to look that way."

The guards besides Sokka blinked, looking at him with renewed respect. Major Wohn appeared to be living up to his reputation. Clearing a suspect of guilt that quickly! Incredible!

Azula snorted. "I'm glad that you can see something that obvious." The guards removed the bindings from her hands, which she flexed. "You will work with me to determine who did this, Inspector."

Sokka held back a gulp of fear. "Very well, Princess."

"Azula."

Sokka blinked. "Hmm?"

"Call me Azula, Inspector."

Sokka gaped at her. Was she extending courtesy to him? She looked away from him with a slight blush. "You've earned my respect, Inspector, for clearing me of guilt so quickly. Not many would let an opportunity to frame me pass by so quickly."

He gave a slight gentlemanly bow. "'Tis my duty and joy to defend the truth, no matter whom it concerns."

"Naturally," she drawled. She turned towards the exit. "Shall we?"

He nodded, as they both left the room. It was time to interrogate the witnesses.

* * *

Light was about to dawn.

Aang and Iroh stood on the cap of a small mountain, looking out over a wide expanse of Earth Kingdom territory. The Outer Walls of Ba Sing Se could be seen almost like a mountain range, a slight shade far to the East which they faced. The Sun would be rising soon.

Last evening, as they trekked through the forest, Aang had questioned Iroh about their goals: where are we going? Who are we looking for? Iroh kept mum on the subject, but he did finally say something that almost kept Aang awake all night: "Tomorrow, we will begin your firebending training."

So here they stood, preparing for their daily meditation. But this time would be different.

"I have good news for you, Aang." Iroh gave him a gentle smile. "You've already mastered the first part of firebending. And you haven't even started!"

Aang laughed. "What? What have I mastered?"

"Learning how to quiet yourself and look within." With that, Iroh and Aang sat, preparing to meditate.

"This morning, Aang, I will lead you through a meditation to prepare you for firebending. Now, close your eyes."

Aang did so, taking a deep breath to even his rapid pulse. He was rather nervous; firebending remained a memory of destruction in his mind from when he burned Katara. But Iroh's soothing voice soon pushed the memory out of his mind. His voice flowed like a chant, providing the perfect atmosphere for meditation.

"What is the difference between a corpse and a person? They look the same; they both have hands and feet, eyes and ears, perhaps even blood in their veins. But the living person is _animated_. Life is passionate, thriving; like the sun, it breathes light into whatever it shines upon."

"That same life is within you, Aang. Life is like a hidden, secret fire within you, animating your body, giving you life; imagine it burning within you!"

As Aang meditated, he saw himself and, as if he were diving deep into himself, found a small, burning fire blazing.

"Take a deep breath; let the fire within swell and grow. As you exhale, do not let your fire grow dimmer; rather, let it _contract_. Strengthen. Let your inner fire retain its shape but burn more brilliantly."

Breathe in. The fire swelled. Breathe out. The fire contracted, growing brighter, the heart more prominent.

"Let this fire be your motivator. When you begin to lose your desire to continue on, or when your passion for what is right grows dim, remember to fan your inner fire. Remember to meditate and reawaken yourself to life!"

They sat in silence for a while. Aang continued to meditate, imagining his inner fire building and growing and strengthening. Suddenly, it was as if his dream became reality; he suddenly felt the Sun break out over the horizon. The first fall of light upon his skin felt as though it pierced him through, pouring strength into his inner fire, which roared. Aang opened his eyes and breathed in deeply, feeling rejuvenated. He beamed at Iroh, who had also opened his eyes upon the Sun's dawning.

"I feel refreshed! Like I'm full of energy!" Aang jumped up, a joyful laugh escaping his lips.

"_That_, Aang, is how you are supposed to firebend. You are expressing your interior life; you show forth the fire in the depths of your heart." He punched forward and, in a small blast, a fireball issued from Iroh's fist.

"Use your breath. When you punch forward, do so with the force and passion of that interior fire."

Aang took a deep breath in, holding the fire in his heart, before punching forward. To his surprise and joy, a small fireball seemed to morph from the motion of his hand and streak out into the air. His face lit up with excitement.

"I did it! I can firebend!" He punched a few more blasts, each growing slightly stronger. Iroh smiled.

"You have a distinct advantage over many firebenders because of your spiritual background, Aang." Iroh sat down. "Because of the War, the Fire Nation people have lost almost all sense of a spiritual life; when their hunger for meaning in life awoke, they looked inward and found meaning in their own vainglory." He sighed, his heart heavy with grief. "When they firebend, it is purely destructive; it reflects their selfish hearts that care for nothing but their own pleasure and honor."

"Then what is firebending supposed to look like?" Aang raised an eyebrow. "My firebending looks just like theirs."

"Oh, no! It's entirely different!" Iroh shook his head with vigor. "You understand what it means to love, Aang; you don't seek solely to destroy, but to _live_ and _love_. So when _you_ firebend, the fire is more pure. It is more alive, almost like a small, beating heart of fire. Their firebending is raw and emotional, desiring only destruction. They could never use true fire healing, for example; and they most certainly could not do _this_."

At his last word, Iroh drew in a mighty breath and breathed a column of fire into the sky. Aang could only watch in awe. His fire was truly like he described: it seemed _alive_. More passionate and full. When Aang looked intently at it, his vision of the fire blurred as it danced; it almost appeared as though the fire were changing colors. No; changing is too rough a word. Flowing, rather. The fire flowed through patterns and images, as if it contained something more than just superheated air.

But that alone would not make the fire seem that miraculous; one may simply think their mind a bit deluded. It was what _radiated_ from the fire that really struck Aang as being incredible. As he felt heat, he felt something else also: a sense of awe and wonder; a warmth that extended to his heart; it felt like he was seeing something truly pure and good. Something similar to seeing a deeply touching act of love, or hearing an especially beautiful piece of music, or watching a majestic waterfall which radiates beauty.

It was, strange as it was to say, beautiful fire.

The fire died away. Iroh looked at Aang, whose mouth was forming a small O in shock, and smiled. "That is what happens when you pour a genuine heart into your firebending. Your fire literally radiates the content of what is within." He frowned. "Which is why anger is a terrible weapon for your enemies to firebend with. Anger radiates extreme heat more likely to burn you, as does sorrow and pride. Destruction comes far too easily to them."

Aang frowned. "Can our firebending best their own, if their fire is hotter?"

Iroh winked. "I cannot teach you everything in a day, Aang! When it comes time for me to teach you the heights of firebending, we can resume this discussion. But for now," he rolled his shoulders, "we must practice."

Aang nodded. He began to move with Iroh, punching fireballs and getting a feel for his breathing techniques and inner fire. But one question rose in his mind, which he only barely refrained from asking.

_When he says the heights of firebending…does he mean lightning?_

* * *

Zuko laid in the cave on the mountainside, completely still. He had awoken half an hour ago, but didn't move. His eyes even remained closed.

He could hear the gentle, rhythmic breathing of Katara only a few feet away. He remembered last night vividly; how he had fled to the mountain; how he had opened his heart; how Katara had heard him; how she had reached out to him in his lowest moment and gave him a message his heart was longing for. You are loved, Zuko. You are loved.

_It's time for you to look inward and begin asking yourself the big questions! Who are you? And what do _you_ want?_

"Well, Uncle, I hope you're happy. Because I can't stop asking those questions now." Zuko muttered to himself. He heard Katara shift for a moment before continuing her breathing rhythm.

_Who am I? What do I want?_

Zuko began to think about all his dreams in life. When he was a child, they were silly dreams, of course; becoming the strongest firebender; becoming Fire Lord; owning a tea shop (his father had shut that one down quick, though Iroh was delighted); but as he grew older, he found that his dreams turned more and more towards his father. That his family could be a happy one. That his father could spend more time with them.

He realized, with a jolt, that his dreams had revolved around becoming his father's beloved son. For three years, that was what defined Zuko: being the banished prince who wanted to regain his honor. Specifically, his honor in his father's eyes.

_No more._

Zuko slowly rose from his bed, moving towards the mouth of the cave. It was still raining outside; the pitter-patter of the water on the rocks gave a pleasant, safe feeling to the cave, which helped him relax as he thought. He sat on a rock near the entrance, listening and thinking.

_I am _so tired_ of being who I am now: the banished prince, defined by his father. I want to know the meaning of my life! Who I'm _meant_ to be! What really matters? Is there true happiness for me in this life? Or am I doomed to a meaningless life, chasing after my father?_

He heard footsteps behind him. He turned and saw Katara, standing only a few feet away, apparently right out of bed. But she looked very aware and awake.

"What problems were you talking about?"

Zuko blinked, before he remembered that he had muttered his Uncle's questions aloud earlier. "I guess you were awake to hear that."

"Yep." She sat down beside him; he caught a whiff of some pleasant smelling perfume, which reminded him of a waterfall. He caught himself before he began to awkwardly sniff her. She continued to speak. "I've been up all morning, thinking about last night."

Zuko merely nodded. They lapsed into silence again before Katara prodded him. "So? The questions?"

"Well…" He paused. It sounded silly to say. "I…I don't know who I am. Or, well, I know who I am, but not…_who_. I know that I exist, but I don't know why. Or what purpose. Or what matters!" He ran his hands through his hair. "My life's pretty much collapsed."

She giggled lightly. "I think I figured that out yesterday." She gave him an uncertain smile; he returned it, which caused her smile to grow into a full-grown grin. "Want to talk about it?"

Zuko raised an eyebrow and looked at her. He opened his mouth, about to say something, but closed it again before he did.

When he looked at her, her beauty hit him like a ton of bricks. Not only was she physically beautiful, but her spirit was incredible. She was being _so kind_ to him. Even though he had hurt her, kidnapped her, betrayed them…

He turned his face away from her before speaking, trying to keep his voice from cracking. "Katara, I'm sorry."

She blinked, surprised. "Sorry about…everything?"

"Yes!" He exclaimed, looking at her with damp eyes. Hers began to tear up as well. "I've been nothing but horrendous towards you, but when you had a chance to run, you chose to care. You chose to care about _me_." He shook his head. "I've been wrong this whole time. I thought I could be happy as my father's beloved son, coming home with the Avatar." He looked away from her, embarrassed at what he was going to say next. "But i've felt neither more loved nor happier than when you embraced me last night."

Zuko's voice broke, and he couldn't say anymore. Katara smiled and scooted closer to him, sneaking under his arm and laying her head in the crook of his arm and side, as she began to cry silent tears.

"Katara…!" He buried his face in her hair, beginning to cry tears. Tears of joy at the feeling of being so loved. "I don't deserve this…"

"Oh, Zuko…" Katara exhaled, as she placed a hand on his cheek. "You know, last night, when I walked up that mountain, I didn't consider you and me as friends. Why would I be friends with my captor? With my enemy?"

Zuko began to speak, but she shushed him with her free hand and kept talking.

"When I heard you, opening your heart on that mountaintop, I felt…well…" She blushed a little. "I felt love. I don't mean, like, love at first sight or anything," she nervously giggled, "but I do mean that I felt that I wanted what was best for you. That I wanted to help heal you and let you know that you matter." She paused. "So i'm going to be here, right by your heart," she said, as she listened to his heartbeat, "so that you'll never forget that you're loved."

Zuko kept his face buried in her hair. All she could hear from him was a faint, distant, almost-imperceptible murmur.

Thank you.


	9. Azula: the Watson to Sokka's Sherlock

**A/N: Sorry for the delay, friends! As a bonus, i've thrown in a whole ton of Azula and Sokka for you all, as well as lightningbending! And a murder mystery. (Though it isn't a very long murder mystery; the conclusion is pretty much reached by the end of the chapter. But I encourage you all to give it some thought as you read! And let me know if you like this kind of stuff; I enjoyed writing Inspector Sokka, so I might be able to be convinced to include him more, if you let me know your honest thoughts...)**

* * *

Sokka stood with Azula outside her apartment, frowning at the door. She was frowning at him.

"You have no idea what happened, do you?"

Sokka grunted.

"You're entirely useless."

Sokka bristled. "Well, let's see YOU do better, then!" He crossed his arms, huffing in indignation.

"That's your job, _Inspector_." She exaggerated his title, smirking at him. "Seems your inspection failed to bring about any results."

"Do you always speak this formally?"

"What do you mean?"

Sokka sighed. "Never mind." He turned back towards a desk that had been appropriated for his use. Statements lined the desk from various interviewees and guards, as well as maps of the palace and outlines. "Let's review what we've learned so far."

"Ugh, I'm tired of this." She waved her hand and turned to walk away. "I don't want to waste my time with an incompetent detective."

"Oh, really?! Well…" Sokka struggled to think of an insult. "You're more incompetent!" He yelled after her; she laughed, but turned around.

"I'm _amazed_ at the grandeur of your insults." She sauntered over to him. "How about we do a little challenge?"

"Hmm?" Sokka raised an eyebrow. His inner man wanted to accept without even thinking about it; but his common sense told him that, well, this is _Azula_. It's probably an Agni Kai or something.

"I will play devil's advocate to your theories. If you can convince me of the culprit by this evening, then I will grant you the personal satisfaction of _removing their head_!"

Sokka gaped at her. "Uh…that's supposed to be enticing?"

"Well, yes, of course. Doesn't everyone desire that?"

"…no."

"Oh. Well…" She paused in thought, tapping a finger on her chin, before a smirk settled across her face. Sokka got a terrible feeling in his gut. "Instead, i'll give you the honor of accompanying Ty Lee and I to dinner."

Sokka opened his mouth to respond when Azula beat him to it, whispering, "I hope you aren't thinking of disrespecting the Princess of the Fire Nation by turning her offer of company away…"

"O-of course not, Princess." Sokka gulped. "It would be my honor."

…_my honor that dies._ Sokka thought. _If nothing else, at least I'll get to keep a close eye on her…_

Azula licked her lips. _Perhaps too close_. He interiorly sighed.

"Inspector!" One of the guards snapped to attention in front of him and saluted quickly. Sokka crisply returned the salute.

"Report."

"Sir, General Rhon is moving to officially denounce the Princess to the Council as the murderer."

Azula's gaze narrowed. "He dares to accuse me? Does the fool not know my father?"

"Princess, he claims to have an irrefutable proof that you committed murder."

The guard left unsaid how Fire Lord Ozai would react the scandal. The Princess murdering one of her closest friends, the heiress of an influential family? He would not be pleased, to say the least, regardless of her innocence or guilt.

As if to rub in his claim, General Rhon burst into the lounge, giving Azula a sinister look. He was dressed in full Fire Nation General regalia.

"Princess! I have some bad news to bring you." He adopted a sad expression. "I'm afraid poor Mai passed away."

Her eyes bulged out; Sokka could feel the temperature rise. He took a step back from her as she snarled. "What? She was supposed to survive!"

"It seems your plan failed, Princess." He sneered. "Though I may not call you that for much longer."

Sokka blinked, a new thought rising in his mind. He grabbed the arm of one of the Intelligence officers near him and whispered, "Have those two had issues?"

The officer paused. If it weren't for the fact that Sokka was an Inspector, his comment would, at least, be immeasurably rude; at worst, a reason to fire him. Speaking about a General and the Princess in such a crude manner! But Inspectors were rather above such petty matters.

"Yes, sir. We know the General framed his predecessor for a military failure, though we didn't have the evidence to move on him."

Sokka nodded and whispered something else to him; the officer nodded and dashed off. Azula and the General were busy trading insults; Sokka decided to change the topic. He walked over to a board where the notes of the investigation were posted.

"Hmm. Quite the case, General." He said, looking at the board in interest.

The General turned to look at Sokka. "Indeed, Inspector. I hope the Princess hasn't poisoned your opinion on the matter."

"I am only vulnerable to the truth, General." He spoke curtly. The General laughed.

"Then I'm sure we'll get along splendidly." He walked up to the board; Azula walked to Sokka's other flank, a stubborn frown set on her face.

"It is a rather strange case." Sokka murmured. "Only two entrances to the building: an unguarded window and the guarded double-doors. Ty Lee was gone at the market all day, and Azula was in court until around six in the evening, when she returned and we happened upon the scene."

"Strange, don't you think?" Azula murmured. "The timeline."

The timeline was indeed strange. The girls had lunch together at noon before going their separate ways: Ty Lee went to the marketplace to shop, Azula to court and Mai to…do whatever she did. At this point, the windows were unlocked.

At three, four maids entered the expansive apartment to clean. Before they entered, a guard locked the windows; they could only be unlocked with his key, which remained on his person. The windows hadn't been broken, so no one could have entered or exited by the windows after three.

About a half hour later, the guards saw four maids exit. Shortly after that, the guards reported seeing Mai; they didn't keep track of whether she was leaving or entering, so unfortunately, there isn't a clear understanding of how she was seen. But she was certainly alive when the maids left, so they didn't kill her.

But between the maids leaving and Azula arriving, the guards didn't see anyone enter. And the windows remained both locked and whole; no one could have entered through them.

In addition, the room was thoroughly searched, revealing that no one was hiding. Nor were there any secret passages.

It logically appeared that Azula was the murderer; who else could have been in the room for the murder? But the girl, by Sokka's examination, must have died at least a half-hour before she got there, if not even longer before that. He didn't get to examine the body at length; in fact, he only gained a glimpse of her back before the medics hauled her away.

In fact, no one saw the body's face; not until it reached the morgue. With this thought, Sokka blinked, grabbed another aide and whispered an order to them. They ran off.

But returning to the case at hand:

Who could have killed her?

"Princess, the case seems quite solid." The General laughed. "How will you explain it? An invisible ninja? An earthbender who can also bend wooden floors and make them appear unbroken? A suicide?"

"Rest assured, General: I will come to the truth of this. The culprits will _suffer_."

"Culprits?" Sokka raised an eyebrow.

"Indeed. I doubt this oaf of a General could have managed to murder her alone." She smirked as the General's face grew red. "He probably sent one of his lackeys."

"But how? No one could get into that room, Inspector!" The General thrust his arm towards the timeline as evidence. "No one but the Princess!"

Sokka made a show of examining the statements made by the different individuals: the maids, the guards, Ty Lee and the Princess. After stroking his fake beard, he gave a dramatic sigh.

"I'm afraid that there will need to be more investigation, General, before my office makes a decision on the matter."

The General huffed. "I don't possibly see how anyone else could have done it!"

Sokka waved him away. "We shall see. For now, I think I wish to speak to the maids and guards again. Guard!" He called to one nearby. "Bring in the maids again. I need to go over some details."

As Sokka walked off with the guard, Azula sunk into the Inspector's plush chair and stared at the evidence. There had to be _something_; there's no way Mai committed suicide…

* * *

"Spread your feet; imagine you are settling yourself upon a low stool. Let your back and legs stabilize you and facilitate your breathing."

Aang and Iroh had continued on their wandering path through the Earth Kingdom; at this point, they stood amidst a small range of low mountains. They currently were practicing firebending at the top of one of the lower mountains; the other, taller ones should give them relative privacy. Especially concerning what they were going to practice today.

Aang fell into the stance. His breaths came deep and fluid.

"This feels more like an earthbender stance than a firebender one."

"That's because this _is_ an earthbender stance; it's meant to bind you to the earth."

Aang raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Because earth grounds out lightning."

Aang's mouth dropped open. It suddenly clicked in his mind where he had seen this stance before: the horse stance. Lightning.

He was about to learn how to lightningbend.

His heart suddenly beat twice as fast.

"Slow, deep breaths, Aang," Iroh cautioned, as he breathed deeply. "We will not begin bending lightning right away."

Aang complied and closed his eyes, breathing deeply. For a few moments, they sat in silence, breathing deeply.

"Remember, Aang, that firebending is about the _heart_–your interior fire."

He imagined the flame within himself as he breathed.

"When you bend, you pour _yourself_ into your bending. That's the weakness of a selfish heart: it's focused on the self. It can never pour itself fully and totally into its bending; even what it gives, it desires to take back. So they firebend with their passions: anger, hatred, pride, sorrow, attachment…"

Aang could see that. When Zuko firebended, he saw (and even felt, to some degree) his anger and pain, which made the fire more biting and more painful to feel. It was like firebending communicated the person's heart to the other; Zuko's heart (and almost every other firebender he's met) was consumed with anger and desire.

"But there's another way to firebend: you pour _yourself_ into the bending." He took a deep breath. In and out. "There was an old phrase in firebending mysticism: _to be consumed in the fires of love_. They meant it literally: to pour yourself into your bending out of love for another. It is an act of sacrifice, and it makes our fire more beautiful, more powerful and more _good_."

With this, Aang and Iroh punched together, forming fireballs that spilt out over the canyon. Aang noticed that the fire didn't extinguish until a ways away–a lot farther than an average fireball.

It felt strange, this new way to firebend. It felt like part of himself, like a small, beating heart, was inside the fireball, consumed in the fire. It was strange and more exhausting, but fulfilling.

"Now." Iroh glanced at Aang. "As you know, there's another branch of firebending that is rare and beyond powerful–lightningbending."

Aang felt a shiver crawl along his spine. Lightning held a kind of power that no other bending did: one strike could be fatal. You couldn't block it with a blast of fire, or a splash of water; only a block of earth could stop it, and even then, it would turn that earth into a blast of fragments flying towards you.

Lightning was, without a doubt, one of the greatest weapons known to benders.

"Lightning is very difficult to master, because it is unlike most bending. Bending usually involves a connection to something in the heart: firmness and stability for earthbending; passion for firebending; responsiveness and agility for airbending; calm and flowing for waterbending. But lightning is not like any of these things. Lightning does not come from within; it cannot! It is too powerful, wild and destructive. We can only be its guides, never its master."

Iroh assumed the horse stance, thoroughly grounding himself. He held his hands in front of him.

"Lightning comes from a very strange place: detachment." He began to move his hands in the circular motions that Aang had only seen done by Azula; electricity began to crackle, and the air seemed to fill with sheer power. "You must be able to separate yourself from all the energy within yourself: all your emotions, feelings, loves, desires, positive and negative–everything must be put away, so that your sole purpose remains. In the void of your heart, empty of all but your will, you can reach out and draw in the power of the Sun, letting it build within you. And then–"

His fingers shot forward, and in a thunderous boom, lightning flashed forth, cracking against the sky.

Aang's mouth dropped open. "That's incredible!"

Iroh laughed. "Masters of lightning can summon it in an instant, foregoing any preparation; but it can take many years to attain such a high state. Now!" He turned to Aang. "Let us see you try."

Aang assumed the horse stance and closed his eyes. He took all the thoughts and feelings he had, and began to separate them–

"Wait a second." He paused. "How can Azula bend lightning if it requires detachment? Isn't she super attached to power?"

"That's the problem." Iroh sighed. "Azula and my brother are willing to sacrifice everything around them for the sake of power; detaching themselves from other things is easy for them, because they don't care about anything else. Their world revolves around them. So it is that lightning makes the good great, and the evil worse."

Aang closed his eyes once more, beginning the process. He took in a deep breath, feeling the pulsing fire of light outside of him; he slowly began to separate himself from his thoughts.

Empty of thought.

Empty of emotion.

Empty of passion.

Empty.

He felt strange–as though there was nothing left in his heart.

"Remember, Aang, your purpose. When all else is gone, you will have nothing but your goal left: no emotions to spur you on, no desire to lead you, nothing to distract you. You must have a goal for which you are willing to give up everything else; anything less, and you will never bend lightning."

In that moment, his purpose was clear: to bring balance to the world. To save and improve the lives of all.

In short, to do what he was meant to do.

With that purpose, he emptied himself entirely and totally. Suddenly, he felt the burning power of the Sun within him. He began to move his hands in circles, drawing the massive, uncontrollable, passionate energy of the Sun into himself. It built like a pressure within him, growing hotter and more powerful by the moment. Electricity sparked and cracked all around him.

Finally, he felt like he was about to burst; in an instant, he extended his hands and shouted with all his might, letting all the pressure loose, intending it to go straight.

In a flash and mighty boom, lightning flew over the canyon, scarring the edge of the adjacent mountain.

"Congratulations, Avatar Aang. You are officially a lightning bender."

* * *

Azula groaned.

"None of this makes sense!" She banged her head against the desk. "How can there be no other possible culprit but me when I didn't do it?!"

"Calm down, Princess." Sokka intoned dryly. "Let's go over the facts."

"Ugh," she frowned, "alright."

"So." Sokka paced in front of the board. "We know that you, Ty Lee and Mai ate lunch around noon. Then you and Ty Lee left the apartment for the entirely of the day, while Mai remained in the room."

"Yes."

"We know that there were four sets of guards, each a pair of two. One from noon to 1:30, another 1:30 to 3, another 3 to 4:30 and a final bout from 4:30 to 6. The second pair locked the interior window before changing shifts; the third pair saw four maids leaving by 3:45. They also reported seeing Mai alive after the maids left; they did not remember whether she was entering or exiting. No one else entered or exited until you came at six and saw the body."

"The body?" Azula bristled. "She has a name, you know."

"I do." Sokka answered brusquely. "Time will tell as to what that name is."

"Her name is Mai."

Sokka made no comment. Azula narrowed her eyes at him, but before she could question his silence, he continued.

"The facts make it seem as though no one else could have entered and killed her except you. But I have my doubts. So!" He turned, walking back to the board. "Let's examine our witnesses. First: the guards."

"Each guard has an immaculate record; to think that two could be convinced to betray the Crown, especially since the assignments are random…"

Sokka nodded. "I agree. I sincerely doubt any of the guards lied or conspired with the killer, especially since other guards patrol the corridors. If either abandoned their post for an instant, it would likely be noticed. However," he tapped his heel against the floor, as he scratched his chin philosophically, "they might be mistaken in what they saw."

"Impossible." Azula shook her head. "They would be able to identify any look-alikes of Mai, Ty Lee or I."

"Not look-alikes of you three." Sokka wagged his finger. "Look-alikes of the _maids_."

"The maids?"

"The maids are randomly assigned, are they not? The guards are unlikely to know their faces; they would just recognize the number of maids that enter, and compare that to the number that left."

Azula frowned. "So? Four went in, and four came out. Unless my math is wrong–which it never is–no one could have snuck in or out as a maid."

"Wait!" Sokka held up a hand. "Don't jump to conclusions, Princess. That's not how investigation works."

"Oh, really." She drawled. "Because your method is working so fabulously."

"IT WILL WORK FABULOUSLY!" He yelled, before clearing his throat. "Indubitably."

"Well, what am I assuming, then, Inspector?"

"We know four maids entered and four left; but you are assuming it's the same four."

"Well, who else could it have been? Mai?!" She said in an irritated tone.

"Probably not Mai. But consider: why couldn't a third party have hidden in the apartment and swapped out with a maid?"

"Because the window–"

Then Azula froze. The window was locked only _after_ the maids arrived. Before the maids arrived, it was unlocked.

It was possible that someone had snuck in and hidden inside the room.

Azula's mind raced along the same line of thought that Sokka had apparently been traveling on. If someone was hiding in the room, they couldn't have walked out the window after; it was locked. And they couldn't go out the front door as-is; they would be recognized as an intruder.

So they needed to leave as a maid.

So they presumably swapped clothes with a maid and left. But then what happened to the maid?

"The room was empty when we searched it…" Azula said slowly.

"Not exactly." Sokka smirked.

Then Azula's eyes lit up and connected with Sokka's.

Grinning fiercely, they both said, at the same time:

"The dead body wasn't Mai."


End file.
